A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George has assured Nigerians that his party will attempt to pick presidential candidate through a consensus, adding that if it fails, the party will leave it for the will of God to prevail.
Olabode George who was speaking on Arise TV said the PDP opted to jettison zoning for the 2023 election as a result of failure to make the decision at the right time.
According to him, decision on zoning of the ticket out to have been made six months ago, and that since the decision was not made and interested parties have already started spending to convince stakeholders across the regions, it will be unfair to ask them to forgo their ambition adding that such a decision could spell doom for the party, since it could lead to division, and “ a divided party is a defeated party”, he said.
Olabode George said that “next time the decision on zoning will be made six months before time” and zoning remains one of the major pillars of the PDP.
He said that the party is not in disarray, contrary to speculations following primaries already held. He said there is provision for appeal and that the problem that arose from the senatorial primaries in Lagos where the state chairman sent a venue different from what was approved by the national body has been corrected by ordering a repeat in the appropriate venue.
“If you are candidate, carry yourself and go there, it is still the same number of delegates”, he said, stressing that no political party that is concerned about primaries that will not have crisis.
“We have problem, but the ability of the managers, the leaders of the party to rise and calm it down will be the strength of our party”, he said, and that with the number of delegates now very small following refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the amended Electoral Act, the PDP will televise the Presidential Primary for the world see the transparency in the party.
“The presidential primaries will be live, people will watch the development worldwide, so that if we are able to manage our primaries, then we will be able to manage Nigeria when it is entrusted into our hands”, he said.
He said the managers of PDP are doing their utmost , managing and reducing the friction in the party but that though many have said money will play major role in the emergence of the party’s candidate, he is of the view that leadership of the party will appeal to people, the delegates: “Please be careful, the future of our generation is at stake”, he warned.
On reports of leader of Lagos4Lagos returning to the APC, he said the individual left because he could not learn the rules governing operation of the party. He said he has been in the party since 1998 and that there will always be crisis, “but the ability to manage the party will be the decider for Nigerians that if they entrust resources into your hands, we will be able to handle it”, he said, adding that he has confidence in the leadership of the party.
On attack on his personality by Chief Bayo Onanuga, he said Onanuga is one of the lackeys of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “They want to be recognized by Nigerians that they are contesting for presidency, is it not our right to ask them who owns Alfa Beta.
“I know he takes part of the crumbs from him, he was so junior to me, he did not meet me in Secondary school at all. He is from Ogun State, but he lived here, the quest ion is simple, if he is the campaign manager, the answer is simple, who owns Alfa Beta, which is still milking the resources of my state to stupor.
“Apapa, was manager at a time, the question for them is who owns Alpha Beta? He has two bullion vans driving into his house on Election Day, what where they carrying, were they carrying garri? He is from Ijebu Ode. He is a complete nuisance”, Chief Olabode George said.
