A former Chairman of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Olabode George, has come under criticism for allegedly instigating an open letter to the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, against the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the party in the South West, Chief Ishola Filani.
Various interest groups and stakeholders, including the Elders Council of the PDP in Lagos State and the zonal youth leadership, have condemned what they termed as “Bode George’s attempt to bring down the roof over his inability to pocket the zonal leadership of the party”.
In a statement the Chairman of the PDP Elders Council, Dr. Oluyemi Finnih, wondered why George would be undermining the authority of the Filani-led committee appointed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in February”.
It expressed disgust at “the incessant aggression being perpetrated by the Chief Bode George group of the PDP against the South West Zonal Committee. It is extremely unthinkable that a caretaker committee put in place by the National Working Committee could be subjected to unguarded abuses and harassment by this group of people.
“ While we endorse the principle of freedom of expression, we also believe that some sense of decorum is very essential.
“We are pleased that Chief Ishola Filani has given a purposeful leadership to the PDP in the South West since he came into office. We recall that apart from his reconciliatory initiative that has brought relative peace to the party in the zone, the South West PDP, under his leadership, was one of the zones that openly endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 elections.”
He added: “We note that with the latest decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP to comply with the INEC reports, the Lagos State Executive Committee (Exco) as presently constituted should stand dissolved and a caretaker committee put in place because the same INEC reports affected Lagos and eight other states.”
In a separate statement, the Zonal Youth Leader, Hon. Bolaji Jeje, described as “mischievous” insinuations by the George group that members of the Caretaker Committee have been barred from contesting elections at the forthcoming zonal congress.
He said the ban only affected members of the Interim Management Committee of the PDP at the national level who were appointed in acting capacities.
“First, from inception we were not told that if we took the appointments, we would be precluded from contesting future elections. Again, we were not appointed in acting capacities. Although we were appointed into a caretaker committee, it was in substantive capacities.
“Also, any attempt to exclude any member of the committee from exercising his right to vote and be voted for would be tantamount to infringing on his fundamental human rights. It is like barring a member of the party, whether appointed or elected into a political office, from contesting future elections.”
Jeje said it was high time George realised that he was no longer the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, adding “he is one of the many Board of Trustees (BoT) members of our great party and should know that his role is merely advisory and nothing more. He should learn from the conduct of other BoT members who allow the structures of the party to thrive in their states and zones. He should concentrate his efforts on how to make the PDP win elections in Lagos State – which has eluded us since 1999 under his leadership.”
He urged all stakeholders to support the Filani-led Exco in order to lead the party in the zone to victory.
Jeje said the youths in the zone have been mobilised to support President Goodluck Jonathan should he decide to seek re-election in 2015.
Source: The Nation
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