The Lagos state support groups for Atiku Abubakar/Okowa presidential campaign has called on the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to expel former Deputy National Chairman of the party Chief Bode George from the party.
Addressing the press in Lagos, the coordinator of the group, Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, accused Chief George of consistently working against the emergence of a PDP governor in the state.
He said the G5 governors’ insistence that the National Chairman of the party,Senator Iyorchia Ayu, should resign is a decoy war targeted at the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar.
Pearse said Chief George is determined to create a crisis in Lagos state chapter of the PDP, so as to destabilise the party ahead of the general elections.
According to him, earlier this year when Bode George could not convince the PDP governorship candidate in the state Dr Olajide Adediran (Jandor) to choose his surrogate son, Rhodes-Vivour as his running mate, Chief George allegedly advised Rhodes-Vivour to decamp to Labour Party, where he is the governorship candidate in the state.
“Unarguably, Chief Bode George’s anti-party activities have become more obvious. A few days ago, precisely on Sunday, November 20, 2022, Chief Bode George at his Lugard Avenue residence, joined by his partners in crime, the G5 governors, declared that while he was open to supporting Lagos state senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly candidates, he was not disposed to support Atiku Abubakar for president nor would he support Jide Adediran for governor.
“We regard this public denunciation for our presidential candidate as a calculated effort on Chief Bode George’s part to derail the 2023 campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State. It is his determination to damage the party by decapitating the head of its campaign that is the presidential candidate of the party.
“Although the PDP members present at Chief Bode George’s show of shame on Sunday made it clear that Atiku Abubakar was their presidential candidate of choice. We are concerned that Chief Bode George’s continued presence at the party, presents a real threat to the success of our party in Lagos.
“For 20 years in five election circles, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019, Chief Bode George has been a negative and divisive force in our body politicking in Lagos State PDP. He has shown a great disregard for the constitution of the party as well as respect for the rule of law.
“Apart from his failure to lead us to electoral victory in Lagos State, it has been alleged for several years, now that in order to maintain his leadership position in Lagos PDP, he ensures that nobody in PDP supercedes him by becoming Lagos State governor.
“Therefore, to stop these violations and to give Lagos PDP a fair chance of victory in the forthcoming 2023 general election, we appeal to you, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman of our great party, to use your good office to serve Chief Bode George a notice of expulsion of membership from the Peoples Democratic Party. We have placed a similar request to Chief Bode George’s ward chairman in Lagos Island Local Government Area.”