* Sidelining Party Elders Will Have Consequences, Bode George Warns

Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tues­day denied reports of an alleged crack in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) over plot to remove Prince Uche Secon­dus, the national chairman of the party.

Our correspondent gath­ered on Monday that the NWC is sharply divided over the continued stay of Secondus in office. According to him, the division started since last year following the party’s defeat in the 2019 presidential election.

It is also gathered that top leaders of the PDP in the South West have begun consul­tations and campaigns to con­vince other stakeholders in the party to remove Secondus over alleged crises in the state chap­ters, gale of defections, House of Representatives’ crisis, al­leged constitutional breaches and failure of the party to win the 2019 presidential election.

A credible source in the party said “not all members of the NWC are comfortable with Secondus still piloting the af­fairs of the party following the strings of losses recorded by the party before, during and af­ter the 2019 general elections”.

“Yes, there is division in the NWC but it is being managed and it is not as pronounced as what we have in the other po­litical party. In that party, like three members of NWC at one time or the other have publicly said that their national chair­man should resign. It is being managed and that is why it has not gone out of hand”, he said.

However, when contacted, Kola Ologbondiyan, the par­ty’s national publicity secre­tary, said the report of any crisis or division in the party is untrue.
“There is no quarrel, di­vision or strife in the NWC. The report of any division to remove the national chairman is balderdash”, he said.

In a related development, Chief Olabode George, a for­mer deputy national chair­man of the party, said the present leadership of the party cannot make headway if it continues to sideline the elders of the party and treat­ing them with contempt as if their opinions don’t matter in the running of the affairs of the party.

George who has accused Secondus-led NWC of impu­nity especially as regards the power tussle in Lagos PDP said he decided to speak out because he cannot afford to fold his hands and allow the party to die.

“Leadership is not some­thing you elect, it emerges. I haven’t attended any of their meetings since 2018 when former President Goodluck Jonathan launched his book titled, ‘My Transition Hours’ in Abuja.

“You can see the total confusion and mess. We are suggesting that they should go back and call the elders to prepare us for the next set of elections.
“If they feel they want to sideline the party elders and run the party on their own, let them do it. Anybody who says an elder is not a fit and proper person, he himself will become an elder soon. It is just a matter of time.

“Those who were saying we don’t want elders to be­come this and that, where are they today? A child sees herbs and calls it vegetable. No mat­ter what happens, I have said any day I quit the PDP, I am going home because the other party, APC, is not a political party but a congregation of strange bedfellows.

“As for the PDP leadership, I don’t want to fire back at them because they are junior to me in age, experience and exposure. As an elder, I can’t just watch and allow a par­ty we laboured to build just waste away like that.

“That is why we keep shouting that they should not destroy the party. They have their period now and cannot be there in perpetuity. Secon­dus cannot be there in perpe­tuity. As an elder, there are so many information that I have and I know certain things are not right but it is not for public consumption. That is the way an elder behaves”, he said.
https://www.independent.ng/no-crisis-in-nwc-over-secondus-fate-as-chairman-pdp/

And how does that affect a cup of Garri in the market.

PDP - Papa Decieve Pikin

That Bode George can still come out to speak today is a testament to Jonathan high profile corruption. This man should be in jail or an ex-convict for crying out loud. He keep talking about elders elders elders, should elders be corrupt. He should shut up and enjoy his loot from NPA

Even if Secondus should step down Bode George should no be the one spearheading it

Second-us name is affecting him. Maybe PDP should appoint First-us as national chairman

Should Secondus retains his position as Pdp chairman, it simply means Pdp are zoning to North in 2023.

Simple as ABC