Chief Bode George is a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview, he speaks on the crisis rocking the party and reconciliation moves. ANAYO EZUGWU writes
What differentiates the Senator Bukola Saraki-led committee from others that have been set up in the past and how optimistic are you that genuine reconciliation can be achieved this time around?
I believe there’s always room for reconciliation because in a political set up or organisation, you don’t shut your doors and think all is well.
The essence of this is to ensure moderation of the anger that has been exhibited by all sides, so that the NEC meeting will be moderate, will be civilized, it will be a family meeting and we must come to a conclusion, a positive conclusion.
Because Nigerians are waiting, they are watching and it’s a load of disgrace. When I see some of the toprated members of our party jump ship, it doesn’t speak well of civilized behaviour.
But I’m happy that they have selected a few people who will meet both the Group A, Group B and whatever other group and reconcile them so that by the time we come to the NEC meeting, it will be seamless and be like before.
But what I will remind this committee to tell all the groups they meet is that a divided house will remain a defeated house and that because of their personal grievances, they should remember that they are still dancing on the graves of the founding fathers of our party.
This party is not an enterprise of any individual. Whatever it is, in politics, you will have disagreements, but you can disagree, but you must never be disagreeable.
What role will a former governor of Rivers State and the current Minister, of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, be playing in this reconciliation effort?
When you have a family, sometimes you have some of your kids that just fear about you will make them to be in line. Sometimes you have some of them who will tell you they don’t agree, that they are ready to whatever.
No individual, let me put it that way, is bigger than the party. This reconciliation committee will be a last thing, I mean, a last gap before the NEC meeting.
The major reason for constituting this committee is to have a rancour-free NEC meeting because we need to be committed. We also need to tell members of the public, the electorate, that, yes, we can have disagreements, but we are capable of meeting behind closed door to discuss issues.
There will be shouting, there will be quiet, some will even almost turn it into an Irish parliament. But we must come out united, so that members of the public will have more confidence on us and say if these people can manage themselves, they can be trusted.
There is a process of doing things. We abandon that process and that’s what has landed us where we are
That will impact positively on their minds and guarantee that no matter the crisis they meet when they are in government, they will resolve it. I hope that they will listen to themselves, but in whatever discussions they are doing, there should be no under-table movement. Let them allow all the parties to state their cases.
There are quite experienced people, who are members of this committee, and I pray that in the final analysis, we will get there because our party is very different from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
What makes you believe that the PDP is different from the APC?
Individualism doesn’t count in the PDP. You can have people who make noise and all that but we have rules, we have laws that guide whatever we do.
The ground norm of the PDP is the party’s constitution. So, members of the committee should read the contents of the constitution. Those who cannot abide by the rules of this constitution can take a walk out peacefully.
If you want to be a member of the party, the first responsibility you should exhibit is you must respect the laws as laid down by the founding fathers of our party. I have no hatred to anybody, but if you cannot follow these rules, then we cannot be members of the same party.
The APC, in their own doctrine, exhibits single ownership of the party. Not only just exhibiting it, somebody stated it openly that he owns the party. It’s different from our own.
The PDP was packaged by Papa Alex Ekwueme and many other elders, who have passed on to the great beyond. If we respect their thought processes as packaged in the document, we are respecting them even in their graves.
I want to tell all those fighting to sheathe their sword. Members of the reconciliation committee will listen to A and listen to B and make their recommendations, which will be considered by the National Working Committee (NWC). Later, they will bring the suggested solutions to the NEC, which is the second highest organ of the party.
The highest body is the convention, followed by the NEC. Whatever you want to do at the NEC, once it’s done, that’s it, no appeal, no judiciary,
How will Samuel Anyanwu’s resumption as PDP National Secretary affect the party’s internal power dynamics, particularly in relation to Wike’s influence, and then, the reconciliation efforts?
Anyanwu cannot spend more than a maximum two months because after NEC, the committee that is on zoning will start work as well as the committee on the convention, which is scheduled already for August.
Even if he goes back there, for me, that’s no big deal. It’s not everlasting. I spoke with him before, that if they say that you cannot be, it doesn’t matter.
Having been the National Secretary of the party entitles him to be a live member of the Board of Trustees (BoT). So, suggestions that are coming from the Governor’s Forum are mere suggestions.
It’s not fixated. It is like they’re a pressure group trying to make suggestions for the way forward. Its decisions will be considered. Even the committee that was set up will also make its contributions. All the elders will also meet. There is still going to be the National Caucus meeting.
There will be the BoT meeting before the NEC meeting. So, we have a process. We have a way of resolving our crisis. The way people are making it look like it’s a private fiefdom, you know, that’s APC style, not our party. We have a route.
We have a process. We have a process of getting to final answers. And I pleading with all sides that in the interest of our children and grand children, we must show Nigerians that we have the capacity and ability to resolve the crisis plaguing us now.
However, I can assure you that anybody who doesn’t want to listen, would be allowed to go and start his own political party. Some people are saying, why don’t you sack this person or that person.
There is a process. It’s like an Iroko tree. You just don’t go and chop Iroko tree in the forest and think that all is well. What strategies would you suggest can be used by the reconciliation committee to stop the wave of defection rocking the PDP, even as there are reports that more of your governors are planning to leave the party? The strategy is very simple. We started this since 1998.
There is a process of doing things. We abandon that process and that’s what has landed us where we are. Everybody will remember how all these shenanigans started. That’s why I am saying that we still have respectable, responsible, top-rated administrators, experienced gentlemen and women who will come to that meeting and will look at everybody in the face and tell them the truth. You are asking what strategy they should adopt.
They should meet Group A separately, and Group B separately, and listen to their grievances. If there are any other groups, meet them all separately. Then the committee will meet, strategize, look at the inputs from all the various groups, and call all of them together, and I am sure at the end of the day, something positive will happen. It is a standard system of management.
For example, I was asked by President Olusegun Obasanjo at the time when the Ife-Modakeke crisis was raging. People were being murdered carelessly. I was the one that Baba said, ‘look, the governor of Osun State had been here asking for support from the Federal Government, Bode head out to go and see the governor.’ I say that with pride looking back, there’s nothing so enormous.
If you are dead serious, you are loyal, you are committed, maybe your interpretation has taken you in the wrong route, or some people have been trying to pump you up to decimate the party. All these things, you will be there, first day, you will discuss. What I did in Ife-Modakeke; the first day I met with the leaders of Ife.
The second day, I met with the leaders of Modakeke. The third day, we repackaged all ourselves, both Ife and Modakeke, and headed to Modakeke. I remember what the governor told me. He said, ‘Bode I have no hands in it. Anyway, you are a soldier. You want to go to that. I said, Papa, don’t worry, sir.’ All the two groups, we were all in the bus. And because they grew together, they went to the same secondary school, they knew themselves.
We were talking. As we bent, we turned the bend of Shekona, heading to the University of Ife campus. There was dead silence in the bus. Everybody thinking, who the hell is this young man? I was the youngest in the bus. They were all old men. And I arranged it in a matter how the Ife leader and the Modakeke leader sat in the front.
By the time we got to that roundabout, we turned right, going to Modakeke. We met tons of people, hundreds and thousands of youths, women. And we taught both sides. So, each side saw the carnage that had been committed in each side. And we drove back to Osogbo and said, good night, gentlemen.
They all went. On the fourth day, we all now met. So, I’m sure the governors and people that are there will use that same system. We must be fair, we must be equitable and we must be just. Listen to all sides and tell them, please, no more public comments once this meeting starts.
Then they will talk and examine the statements from all sides and call the two of them. Before you will now make their recommendations for consideration. And they should please advise them, no more public comments about the party. Those who want to go and join APC, good luck to them. I have no doubt in my mind that if we are able to resolve our crisis, we will meet the APC.
And those who ran down to APC, jumping ship, will regret their decision. What are they going to APC for? What is it that the party have positively impacted Nigerians that they are happy for, and which will make them to convince Nigerians to vote for APC again? Take the issue of Delta.
When the former governor and the governor and all the team landed in APC, they met a structure. So, the fight will soon start because there are people who have been there before, and they are asking them: What do you think you are coming to do?
Talking about the APC, the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, believes the PDP is dead or will be totally dead by the end of the year and that the APC will get a decisive victory in the 2027 elections. Can you respond to that?
Where did Ganduje come from? Did he not come from our party? Is he sure that he will win Kano? First of all, let me advice; the methodology and the electoral process must not be tampered with. Mr. Ganduje should not conflagrate this country. The will of the people must be allowed to prevail.
The party made Ganduje; he was not been publicly elected through any convention or congress. He was appointed by the President, who said ‘this APC, I own it.’
So, for Ganduje, I wish him the best of luck. But to Nigerians, I say please give us time, we will be ready to put smile on your faces by the grace of the almighty. I believe that.
