PDP crisis deeply rooted in greed – Bode George

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Ola Bode George, has blamed the lingering crisis within the party on what he described as greed, and a growing disregard for the foundational principles that once guided the opposition party. Speaking during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Frontline programme, on Thursday, the elder statesman reflected […]

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Ola Bode George, has blamed the lingering crisis within the party on what he described as greed, and a growing disregard for the foundational principles that once guided the opposition party.

Speaking during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Frontline programme, on Thursday, the elder statesman reflected at length on the origins of the internal conflict rocking the party.

He insisted that the division did not emerge from ideological differences but from the actions of individuals who ignored the rules laid down by the party’s founding fathers.

George said the PDP was deliberately structured to ensure national balance and stability in Nigeria’s political system, particularly through its zoning arrangement which allowed different regions of the country to take turns in occupying the presidency and other key positions.

According to him, the breakdown of that arrangement began when certain individuals chose personal ambition over the collective interest of the party.

“I don’t want to go back into the details of how this nonsense started. It started because of avarice, because of greed, because of lack of respect for constituted authorities. The guidelines as stipulated by the founding fathers of our party were totally disconnected, and they were now saying, ‘Oh, it must be me, he must be this.’ Who are you? Let the will of the people prevail.”

George explained that the PDP’s zoning formula was conceived to guarantee fairness among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic and regional groups, noting that the arrangement helped stabilise the country’s political structure after years of instability.

He recalled that the idea was developed by senior political leaders who sought to prevent future crises that could threaten Nigeria’s democracy.

“PDP created a concept of operation in this country where we decided that every Nigerian, whether you are majority or minority tribe, you are acceptable and responsible and you must benefit from the gifts that God gave you in your own local area. The founding fathers divided Nigeria into six geopolitical zones and created this zoning concept where one zone holds the presidency for eight years and it rotates to another zone.”