A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has accused the current administration of contributing to instability within opposition parties in the country.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that George made this known in an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, asserting that weakening the opposition would have serious consequences for democratic governance.
Citing a recent development involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s national secretariat, George expressed concern over the role of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
According to him, Wike’s current position in government contributes to the issues happening in the PDP.
He said, “It is not good to weaken the opposition. That is not good for democracy. You don’t need to look far to see the shenanigans that are going on.
“Last week, Wike was handed over the party secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party. This is a property that was bought and paid for by the founding fathers of this party. By 1999, we paid for it. We have the certificate of occupancy. During the crisis, it was shut down.
“If Wike was not the Minister of the FCT, do you think this would have been possible? Being a minister does not entitle him because he belongs to another political tendency to use that office to decimate the development and evolution of a political structure in Nigeria.”
Speaking about the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of Wike’s faction of the PDP, Bode George further questioned their legitimacy, suggesting there may be tacit encouragement from the presidency.
He stressed, “It bothers me beyond my comprehension. How many of them are there? They said they had a NEC meeting there. How many of them? Is that the standard expected of our party?
“Please, Mr President, the encouragement is virtually coming from the Villa. You hear ‘the hand of Jacob, the voice of Esau.’ That biblical saying applies here, and it is more than enough.”
On claims of reconciliation within the PDP, George dismissed assertions that unity efforts are underway, particularly those linked to Wike.
He added, “Has he not expressly told them that he supports the president to win the next election? What kind of unity is he talking about?”