2019 Election: ‘PDP May Not Make It If…’ – Bode George

A one-time deputy national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George has given his stance on what the party is at the moment and what must be done for it to remain relevant in the space of time.

As the election for the post of the national chairman of PDP scheduled for December 9 draws near, Bode George has emphasized the need for his party to bring on ground a leader with vast experience to restore power for PDP at the helm of affairs in Nigeria come 2019.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos on Wednesday, George described the PDP national chairmanship
election as the crossroads at which party members could
not afford to take a wrong turn.

“We are at the crossroads and if we take the wrong turn,
we may not make it,’’ he established.

Nigeriancablenews had reported that George is set to officially declare his intention to vie for the party’s national chairmanship position on Friday.

According to him, God is giving the party a second
chance after its defeat at the 2015 polls after a 16-year rule.

“If you’re suddenly hit by a fast-moving train when you don’t expect it, the shock itself is incalculable. We went into a spin and almost lost confidence in ourselves,’’ George said.

Luckily, the leadership crisis responsible for the party’s loss of power in 2015 has been resolved at the Supreme Court, bringing Makarfi in as the NCC then.

George said the party could not afford to misuse the new
opportunity before it in choosing its national chairman.

He likened the present state of the party to a cancer who needed another pill after coming out of coma.

The party chieftain said he had the needed experience for the job to weather the battle ahead, which he admitted “would not be easy”.

According to him, time is not on the side of the PDP and so cannot afford to experiment at this stage.

“It’s a major decision, not only for the party, but for the entire Nigeria,’’ he said of the national chairmanship
election.

George also pointed out the party must avoid the pitfalls of the past and must throw impunity into the dust bin immediately.

“It is the responsibility of the members to take a deep breath and look at who the cap fits,” he said.

The party chieftain traced the history of the PDP and said the south-west was best placed to produce the next chairman based on the party’s zoning arrangement and
its electoral value.

“We are not saying anybody should not contest but because of empathy for the south-west, people said it’s their turn,’’ he said.