A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode George, has dismissed growing speculations that Nigeria’s leading opposition party has lost relevance, describing those holding such beliefs as “first-class dreamers.”

Naijaonpoint reports that George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party and a member of its Board of Trustees (BoT), made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.

Reacting to questions on whether the PDP had become a shadow of itself, George replied sharply, “No way; those are dreamers. I’m telling you they are first-class dreamers.”

He insisted that the party remains formidable, describing it as Nigeria’s political “Iroko.”

“In political management, ownership structure, camaraderie, what we have in the PDP, they don’t have. The PDP is the Iroko political party of Nigeria. Its roots remain deep and intact,” he declared.

Speaking on the police blockade at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Monday, the 79-year-old statesman expressed outrage, saying he was stunned to be turned back from entering his own party’s headquarters.

“It’s like going back to your home, and suddenly it’s surrounded by police. I thought, ‘What in the globe is happening?’” he said.

George described the action as “disgraceful”, calling on security agencies to act within constitutional limits and respect democratic institutions.

Despite the drama, George said the events were not without their silver linings.

He said, “These experiences are a load of lessons for party members. They’ve apologised; we saw the shenanigans.”

He said the incident had reinforced the PDP’s internal strength and unity.

“Let me reassure Nigerians: there’s no organisation in the world without a crisis. The most sensible thing is to come back, close the door, speak some home truths, debate, and unite, and that is what we’ve done today,” he said.