PDP will bounce back after NEC meeting – Bode George
Amid rising concerns over the mass defections from the Peoples Democratic Party, including high-profile exits in Delta State, party chieftain and Board of Trustees member Chief Bode George has expressed confidence that the PDP will recover and emerge stronger after its upcoming National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for May 15.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Friday, George addressed concerns over the recent mass exodus of party members from Delta State, including former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and all 25 local government chairmen in the state.
Despite what some analysts have called a “tsunami,” George was adamant that the PDP remains resilient.
“A date has been fixed for our NEC meeting and after that meeting, you will see that this same Iroko tree, the political Iroko tree, will bounce back,” he said.
George described the Delta defections as “despicable” and “a lack of respect for a platform that honoured you.”
He expressed disappointment in what he sees as self-serving moves.
When pressed on the significance of high-profile defections such as that of Okowa, who was the party’s vice-presidential candidate in the last general election, George was dismissive.
“It is an experience. We have gone through this before. It is not a threat. Because something happened doesn’t mean it is fixated or it is finality,” he assured.
George argued that the All Progressives Congress, despite benefiting from the defections, offers no real alternative.
“There is hunger in the land. There is anger in the land. What do you think they are going to do there? If it is not a personal embellishment, what are they going to do there?” he said.
He acknowledged that the exodus appears damaging but maintained that the party has experienced similar episodes in the past and has always recovered.
George also issued a warning about the consequences of electoral manipulation in the future, stating, “If we lose, we hands off. But if we win and you manipulate the results, you are looking for an unimaginable conflagration. And we cannot afford that.”
Despite internal fractures and public criticism, the BOT member insisted the PDP is not in its final days.
“We will come up with a suggested solution which will be unanimous. These challenges we are facing now will further strengthen us,” he concluded.
