The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elder statesman, Chief Bode George has disclosed that any plan by Atiku and Ayu to sanction Nyesom Wike, Makinde and others in Wike’s camp will be disastrous to the party.
NewsOnline reports Chieh Bode warned that if Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, and Ayu Iyorchia, the PDp national chairman try to impose sanctions other than seek peaceful resolution to the crisis ravaging the party since it had its May 28 and 29 convention will backfire on the party’s ability to win the 2023 election.
Bode, however, lamented that instead of seeking a peaceful resolution, Atiku is playing games with the governors, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
The PDP chieftain also blamed the former senate president Ayu for resorting to throwing tantrums instead of resigning or seeking other peaceful alternatives.
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Bode George in an interview with Punch said, “As an elder, we will continue to appeal to Ayu to put on his thinking cap. Atiku should remain a nationalist because he wants to govern Nigeria.”
He added, “Even if the party wants to do so (sanction them), the time is not now. As an elder of the party, if Atiku remains completely adamant that he will not listen and Ayu is blowing tantrums all over the place, whatever anybody wants to do, they will do it. These governors are not pawns on the chessboard, and Atiku should know this.
He further bashed Atiku for stating that the party’s constitution has to be followed in removing Ayu, alleging that Ayu and Atiku threw the party constitution out to emerge the party’s presidential candidate.
“Atiku can’t be talking about the constitution of the party now. Could he have emerged as a presidential candidate if we had not set aside our constitution? What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,” he said.
Chief Bode added, “Even if Atiku wins today, he has already planted discord in the minds of the people. Atiku met with these governors and told them he would bring the chairmanship to the South. If he is playing games with these governors, they are also ready to play games with him. He (Atiku) is thinking that he is already in the Aso Rock Villa.”
“People are lying to Atiku, telling him he would win without these governors but he doesn’t know how angry our people (South-West) are. The whole North will vote for him and let’s see how he will get 25 percent of the South-West’s votes,” he stated.