Bode George still angry over failed PDP chairmanship bid — Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he has no regret over his role in preventing former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, from becoming the party’s national chairman.

Wike disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday by his senior special assistant on public communications and social media, Lere Olayinka, alleging that George’s continued criticism was driven by his disappointment over the failed bid.

The minister said George’s political frustration had been further compounded by the emergence of Deji Doherty, whom he alleged the former PDP chieftain did not want to lead the party in Lagos State.

According to Wike, George regarded the national chairmanship position as his right but was stopped because it was the turn of the South-South to produce the party’s national chairman.

He recalled that, as a sitting governor, he visited George’s residence in Maitama, Abuja, after the national convention to reconcile with him, but said George’s wife attempted to escort him out before former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko intervened.

Wike described George as a failed politician, alleging that despite the privileges and influence he had enjoyed, he had failed to deliver electoral victories for the PDP in Lagos State since 1999.

“Even his Unit 001 in Ward E2, Evans Street, Lagos Island, he has never won for the PDP. In the 2019 presidential election, APC had 84 votes while PDP had 40. In the 2023 elections, he transferred his voter’s card to Eti-Osa, and PDP had four votes in his polling unit,” Wike said.

The FCT minister maintained that political leadership should be based on the ability to contribute to electoral victories rather than names, titles or claims of being a founding member, adding that George’s continued criticism only provided reasons for him to appear on television programmes.