A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George, has described the exit of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State from the party as a desperate survival move.
George made this statement on Tuesday while addressing newsmen on the state of the nation in Lagos, saying that although the crisis within the party might have forced Adeleke’s hasty exit, it remained a troubling development.
He added that the lack of clarity about which faction of the party’s leadership was in charge must have contributed to the governor’s desperate move.
The elder statesman also called on President Bola Tinubu to caution the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, in order to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy, noting that unchecked abuse of power undermines national cohesion.
According to him, the recent disruption at the PDP Secretariat on November 18 is a grave warning, stressing that the actions of a group previously expelled for anti-party activities, reportedly encouraged by a serving Federal Minister, constitute an unacceptable assault on democratic order.
He warned that their attempt to prevent a duly elected leadership from assuming office was not only unlawful but part of a broader pattern that threatens the future of multi-party democracy in Nigeria.
“As a life member of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, I maintain without ambiguity: anyone wishing to leave the party is free to do so. A political party, like a tree, grows stronger when unhealthy branches fall away,” he said.