Despite the ongoing concerns over the mass defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including the departure of several prominent figures from Delta State, party stalwart and Board of Trustees member Chief Bode George remains confident that the PDP will bounce back stronger after its forthcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, set for May 15.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, George addressed the mass exodus of party members, particularly from Delta State, including the defection of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and all 25 local government chairmen in the state.
Although analysts have described this as a “tsunami,” George insisted that the PDP remains resilient.
“A date has been fixed for our NEC meeting and after that meeting, you will see that this same Iroko tree, the political Iroko tree, will bounce back,” George declared.
He condemned the defections from Delta as “despicable” and a “lack of respect for a platform that honoured you,” voicing his disappointment in what he sees as self-serving political moves.
When questioned about the significance of high-profile defections such as Okowa’s, who was the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the last general election, George dismissed the impact.
“It is an experience. We have gone through this before. It is not a threat. Because something happened doesn’t mean it is fixated or it is finality,” he remarked.
George further argued that although the All Progressives Congress (APC) has benefited from these defections, it does not offer a viable alternative for Nigerians.
“There is hunger in the land. There is anger in the land. What do you think they are going to do there? If it is not a personal embellishment, what are they going to do there?” he questioned.
While acknowledging the apparent damage caused by the defections, he remained optimistic that the party will recover, as it has done in the past.
“We will come up with a suggested solution which will be unanimous. These challenges we are facing now will further strengthen us,” George concluded.
He also warned about the potential consequences of electoral manipulation in future elections, stating, “If we lose, we hands off. But if we win and you manipulate the results, you are looking for an unimaginable conflagration. And we cannot afford that.”
Despite the challenges, George maintained that the PDP is far from finished.
