Bode George blames Ayu over refusal to ‘moderate’ in-fighting within PDP as crisis escalates

A former national vice-chairman in the southwest zone of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Bode George, has opened the lid on the crisis plaguing the party in the aftermath of the 2023 general elections.

George spoke on Tuesday, during an interview on AriseTV, monitored by Ripples Nigeria.

Earlier on Monday, a High Court in Makurdi, the Benue State capital barred Dr Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the National Chairman of the PDP.

The presiding judge, Justice W.I. Kpochi, issued an interim injunction restraining Ayu in the suit No. MHC/85/2023 filed at the court by Terhide Utaan with Ayu and the PDP as defendants.

Justice Kpochi’s ruling came in the wake of Ayu’s suspension by the PDP executive committee in Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, for alleged anti-party activities.

However, the embattled Chairman responded by urging party faithfuls and Nigerians to disregard reports about his suspension from the party by his ward executives.

Responding to the chronicle of events, Chief Bode George blamed Ayu for the recurring crisis within the party.

He also stated that the Benue Ward executives were reacting to the tension which had seen reported suspensions of Samuel Ortom, Ayo Fayose and Pius Anyim.

Read also:Ex-Lagos official, Odubiyi, gives Bode George 7-day ultimatum to retract comments

“Before elections, there were a lot of agitations within the Party regarding the zoning principle and it is much deeper than these suspensions. Anyim, Fayose and I are members of the National Executive Committee and the Chairman cannot unilaterally suspend any member without approval from the NEC. You don’t act as a headmaster because as the head, you are supposed to moderate the party.

“Who authorized Ortom’s suspension, a serving governor? I am miffed by this attitude. First of all, we are still in Court regarding election results and what type of message are we sending to the public? But because of a personal vendetta, you cannot destroy the party,” Bode George railed.

However, he noted that he is not in support of Ayu’s suspension while speaking on what happened regarding his support of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour during the Lagos State elections.

Rhodes-Vivour was the governorship candidate of the Labour Party and he received support from Bode George through his Forum, Omo Eko Pataki.

This drew criticism from Abdul-azeez Adediran, who is the PDP candidate in the state.

Narrating the events, Bode George said, “I am not in support of Ayu’s suspension but his ward executives are reacting to the tension within the party.

“My support for Rhodes-Vivour is not anti-party activity and this is because all the normal processes wasn’t handled well by Jandor. I called him and spoke to him but he headed in another direction. The infighting caused by Ayu exacerbated the PDP crisis

“In our forum, Omo Eko Pataki, we also choose our candidates to be sold and we decided to choose Rhodes-Vivour; it was not a matter of Party but ideology. I have been a party member since 1998 and I did what I did with my conscience. Ayu said he doesn’t care if he loses Lagos when stakeholders tried to intervene.”

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