However, speaking in Lagos on Thursday at an event , tagged: “Restitution of Restoration”, Chief Olabode George, the party’s former Deputy National Chairman, South, insisted that the PDP remained a strong political platform, with great potential for members and urged Atiku, Mark and others to return.
“There is no coalition in today’s Nigeria that can be stronger than the PDP,” he said.
“The PDP is a reborn political party that has weathered all storms and can never go under. All these leaders must return to this Iroko political party.
“Those forming coalition should not forget they have traveled that way before, and it amounts to nothing and it will be good they remain in the party to help build it.”
He lamented that those deserting the party for the opposition coalition are desecrating the grave of the founding fathers of the party, who sacrificed everything to birth it, accusing them of ingratitude.
“It is a disservice to the party whose platform they used to get to higher position in the country,” adding that the party crisis had been resolved.
“The party has weathered the storm, this party is re-born, those that have attained higher position in the country on the platform of the party should do a re-think,” George added.
“They should take it easy, there is no way their congregating can pass the PDP strength.
“They have done it before, there is no major issue of contention in the PDP that can make them leave the PDP
“What is the contention about? Why do they want to leave the PDP? They want to be presidential candidate?
“Positions are zoned in the PDP. The founding fathers of the party zoned position because lack of zoning of positions led to the collapse of the First and Second Republics.”
George also disclosed that the party would not present a northerner, as its presidential candidate in the 2027 polls, otherwise it would tantamount to insulting the founding fathers of the party.
“There is no chance that our party will have somebody from the North in 2027. That would be insulting to the founding fathers of the party, many of whom have passed to the great beyond. They (those going against the party’s zoning policy) are perpetually dancing on their (the founding fathers) graves because they are being insulted. The late Alex Ekwueme contested for the presidential ticket of the PDP but did not win. However, that did not cause him to collapse the party. That is what you call a God-fearing gentleman,” he said.
He accused President Bola Tinubu of coercing PDP governors to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, and castigated those dumping the PDP, wondering why they would abandon their father’s house to live as tenants elsewhere.
“I can tell you confidently that Bola Tinubu and his group are coercing our governors to join the APC. However, the power does not belong to him. People of this country, please open your eyes,” the PDP chieftain said.
“With all these people running around, a rolling stone gathers no moss. They tried it before, but they ran back. What they are doing is like disowning their father’s house. Can you leave your father’s house because it is leaking, and go and stay as a tenant?”
