Chief Olabode George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of its Board of Trustees, has addressed the ongoing internal crises within the party during an interview with The Sunday Sun.
When he was told during the interview to comment on the crisis ravaging the PDP, he acknowledged that every human organisation, including political parties, is bound to face disagreements and challenges regarding policies and decisions.
Drawing on a spiritual analogy, he said that even the Almighty, as stated in the holy book, allowed trials and tribulations despite the faith and worship of believers—but that trust in Him would ensure triumph..…CONTINUE READING
Reflecting on his own experience as both a leader and former prisoner, George emphasised that true leadership in such times required a servant-leader approach, rather than expecting to be served. Regarding the state of the PDP, he admitted there had been disagreements but insisted they must not be irreconcilable or dictated by a “my way or no way” mentality.
He described the PDP as a critical and enduring institution, likening it to an iroko tree, and paid tribute to the sacrifices of the party’s founding fathers, particularly the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, whom he said deserved lasting recognition for his role in the PDP’s formation.
Further talking, he said, “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.”
He said that the PDP had intentionally created and divided Nigeria into six geo-political zones. According to him, the party then established six top positions in the country—namely the president, vice president, senate president, speaker, secretary to the government, and the party’s national chairman—and assigned them specific roles corresponding to the six zones over an eight-year period. He explained that this system, known as zoning and rotation, was designed to ensure that governance rotated fairly across the regions.
He noted that this approach attracted many people to the party because it embodied justice, fairness, and equity, regardless of tribe or religious differences. He expressed hope that, eventually, it would be the turn of every region and contrasted this system with the disorder he believed the British had left behind. He also emphasized that every part of the country had been endowed by God with one resource or another, and that human resources had not been distributed based on tribal sentiments.
