PDP will zone 2027 presidency to South – Bode George

…Says power will only return to North in 2031

By Agatha Emeadi

Chief Olabode George is a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and member the Board of Trustees of the party.

He is also a former military governor of Ondo State.

In this interview with Sunday Sun, he spoke about his party’s plan for 2027.

He also berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) led  government, saying its move towards a “one-party state is a huge joke.” Excerpts:

PDP is experiencing a lot of internal crises, some say it is no longer a healthy party. What do you think about this?

Well, in every human organisation, there must be problem and disagreement about policies and agreements. Spiritually, even the Almighty God told us in the holy book that as far as we believe, trust and worship Him, does not mean we will not encounter trials and tribulations. But if we trust Him, we will overcome. Now to your question, in any organisation, when one gets through the kind of experience that I have as a prisoner and leader, one must be a servant leader, not a leader to be served. You asked what happened to our dear party, PDP? Well, we can disagree, but never be disagreeable, which means it must be my way or no way. PDP is the only critical oak tree that is like the iroko tree. The founding fathers gave so much, especially the late Dr Alex Ekwueme whose name is written in gold as far as PDP is mentioned. The concept he brought is noble, which should create a sense of oneness that we all own in this country. A situation where there is no tribal sentiment and religious bigotry. These were the two evils planted in this country by the British before they left this country. Whatever issue that comes up in this country, these two must raise its ugly heads. There is a system of operation established by the founding fathers of the party. In our national constitution, there is no North, West, East and South etc. PDP created them intentionally and divided Nigeria into the six geo-political zones. They then created the six top positions in the land which include the president, vice president, senate president, speaker, secretary to government and national chairman of the party, which are assigned for their specific roles for the six geo-political zones in eight years. This will make governance go turn by turn in Nigeria. It was called zoning and also rotation. That was the major reason that attracted people to the party because they saw justice, fairness and equity. Not minding tribe and religious bigotry. Someday, it will be the turn of a particular region unlike the mess the British left here. I want you to know that there is no part of this country that God has not endowed with one resource or not because human resources were not distributed based on tribal sentiments.

Kindly look at the one-party state that is rearing its head in the country, what is your take on it?

One-party state is a huge joke. It can never happen. Talking from experience, I ask what is democracy? It is the management of the resources of the land on the benefit of the people. What is happening in one-party state that is attracting people to join? Have they brought succour for the people? The power to elect rests with the people. Do not forget that electoral process in Nigeria is a huge joke, very ugly in every aspect where the will of the people cannot be respected because manipulators are everywhere.

But there are obvious signs because states governors are decamping to the APC?

And I ask, for how long have they been into active politics? Most of them are all new in politics, but let us give them the chance. Proverbially, there is no way a child is given pap as food that he would not rub it all over his mouth. So, if they want to learn, fine, but if they do not want to learn it will be a quagmire. I was a military governor of Ondo State at 42 years. General Gowon became the head of state at 32. Obasanjo at 39, Muritala Mohammed at 36, Awolowo was 32 years when he became the premier of the Western region. To all those who are decamping, I say to them be ‘calming down because when the people decide to revolt, they should not allow themselves to be consumed by the anger of the people. One is there today because the system allows you. If you continuously cheat and make life impossible for the common people, who are the base of the will power, they might react. Therefore, one should be careful. I have seen it more than most of them. I have seen governance between the military and civilian. Where are the men of yesteryears?

Now, the name Nyesom Wike’s rings a bell in PDP because most Nigerians feel he is the determinant factor in the party. Is this correct?

People who are saying Wike took over the activities of the party does not know he found himself in an opportunistic environment. When one manipulates and thinks he is smart, there is a being looking at him or her from above. They do not have that respect and fear for the being looking at them. Someday, they will watch it like a movie. First, our constitution Section 7, sub-Section 3, states that there will be zoning and rotation of elective and party offices to be able to sustain and maintain fairness, justice and equity as stated in the constitution. Now, the zoning committee appointed zones and left the party offices. When Iyorchia Ayu became chairman, I raised it at the meeting that something is missing because you zoned party offices, what about the elective offices? There and then, he set up party committee to review the PDP constitution. At the next meeting, I saw a lot of my friends shouting there is no zoning again. The constitution which is the backbone of our party was disregarded. We have to disperse at the first day of the meeting. But by next meeting we agreed to zoning and rotation, without party offices.

What is the way-forward for the presidency come 2027? 

The communique after that meeting was written by Prof Jerry Gana on behalf of the new committee set up to review the report of the zonal committee. That yes, we agreed mistake has been made, but never again will we ever have accepted this and signed by all members. So, the next four years, the presidency will be in the South. Even though, we do not have the power to prevent anybody legally to disobey the national constitution. If you want to contest election in Nigeria, nobody will stop you, but if you want to contest on the platform of our party, there is a procedure until 2031, when it will go back to the North.

When therefore will it be the turn of the Southeast to produce a president in this country?

Within the South, the late Dr Alex Ekwueme who was the presenter of the formation of PDP was the brain child and the chief convener. He invited everybody, including Dr Jim Nwobodo, Solomon Lar, Bola Ige and these were people who could not sit to discuss politics because they were miles apart. So, for Southeast, whose fault is it? It is for the Southeast to go home to interact and re-strategizes on how to win the hearts and minds of those that are to come out. We have a saying in my language, if a kola nut is getting rusty, the ant that is making it to rust is inside that kola.

It has to be a home-grown strategy.

Do you think Peter Obi of the Labour Party will enjoy his followers like he did two years ago?   

I am not a member of their party. Peter Obi was with us even from the very beginning. There were a lot of fracas in Anambra, he detached and moved to another party. On the national page, he became vice to Atiku, suddenly he headed out to the Labour Party. Now, if you compare that party with any other political party, there is no structure. As a human being, I think one should have an internal cement to hold your guts in place. If your inner organs are empty, not being insulting or arrogant, how would you stay. It is a matter of re-examining the moves. How much of trust, strength of the people within the Southeast that can say yes, this guy has done well for us, let us go with him.

Just give a summary of the present government so far?

There is no government. I am not afraid to say there is no government. Look at the economic indices, the pain and anger. Now note that before, the southerners headed into western education while the northerners delayed. Now, the northern young men are university graduates. They are in every profession now. Education makes people easy to govern, but impossible to be deceived. All the internal insecurity in the North are the young minds reacting because they are asking, where is future. You asked them to go to school, they have gone to school, yet return to huts where they left for school. There is no hope, no job and money. They see a few very wealthy ones among them. They are asking where is the largesse of the money? That is why they are reacting and fighting. People say Fulani from outside are responsible. The northern GenZs are the ones fighting their leaders. I have listened to three intelligent governors from the North who came with the analysis instead of deceiving ourselves, let us look inwards and tell the honest truth, there is no Almajiris again because most of them are now educated.

As a PDP stalwart, are you aware if Atiku will run in 2027?

I do not know exactly. But we have a constitution that guides all that.

You said the GenZs, the youths are reacting in the North, what do you think is the way forward for street urchins here in the South?

Well, there are no more scholarships boards and other enticements that will attract the young ones. I have said it before, with the humongous amount of money these boys in the banks are making, declaring forth less, self-conceited figures. What are they producing in the banks? Where is their factory? They are the only banks in the world that are making humongous profit here, the managing directors have the nerves to buy private jets without a productive factory. Such do not happen in Barclays Bank in England. I am challenging the current president to let these people that have amassed wealth effortlessly to contribute to a special purse, where each one of them can contribute at least N15 billion to be used for skills acquisition as succour for the street urchins.  While growing up, we had skills acquisition centres. Not all would go to universities. These are some of the challenging situations, then someone is suggesting one party state. It is a huge joke.