A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President, David Mark over their decision to align with the newly formed ADC-led coalition.
George described the move as “illogical, ill-timed and lacking in substance,” accusing the coalition’s members of prioritising personal ambition over the collective interest of Nigerians.
“If it is not self-aggrandisement, what are they running away from?” he queried while speaking to the Nigerian Tribune.
He stated: “If your roof is leaking, would you run away from the house? No. You stay there and repair it. What is wrong with the PDP? We had a crisis in the party, which they were part of. We’ve resolved it, so why are they running?
“I have appealed to them to have a rethink and return home. If they don’t, let them stay where they are. It doesn’t matter.”
George accused the coalition of abandoning the PDP at a time when unity was needed to rebuild and challenge President Bola Tinubu at the ballot box.
His words: “Is dumping the PDP and forming a coalition the right way to send President Tinubu out of office?
“They have divided the house they built, and that means they are pursuing personal ambition, not the corporate interest of this country.
“What is Atiku looking for in the coalition? What is David Mark looking for? They caused the mess at the last national convention. You don’t need a degree to see that it’s illogical.”
The former PDP deputy national chairman said every politician in the coalition, except for Aregbesola, has the ambition to become president, a situation he believes will collapse under the weight of its contradictions.
George, however, urged them to return to the PDP and contribute to rebuilding what he described as “the broken walls of the nation.”
He said: “They should all come back and help rebuild the broken walls of this nation. In the PDP, we have resolved our crisis. This isn’t the right time to walk away.
“These are people who have benefited immensely from the party. One was the number two man in Nigeria. Another, who claims to be acting chairman, was the number three. What more do they want?
“I’m disenchanted. I’m angry. What kind of reasoning is this? Do you go to war and surrender to the enemy?
“Everyone in that coalition, except Rauf Aregbesola, came from the PDP. The PDP made them who they are today.”
George also suggested that Tinubu may be employing supernatural tactics to destabilise his opponents.
“An iroko tree doesn’t just sprout and fall in the bush. No matter the storm, the iroko stands tall.
“Maybe Bola Tinubu has gone to consult a babalawo (herbalist), and that’s what’s disturbing them and making them act irrationally. I don’t believe in babalawo, but maybe he has — and that’s why they’re running around,” he noted.
He described Tinubu as just another party member who should not be acting as the PDP’s owner, hinting that serious decisions would be taken at the party’s next National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
“For me, this coalition is a non-issue. It’s all selfishness and self-aggrandisement.
“At a time when we should be talking about the corporate existence and livelihood of ordinary Nigerians, they’re not doing that. Nigerians will decide,” he concluded.
