CHAIRMEN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 20 local governments in Lagos State have told President Goodluck Jonathan to beware of members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) who are eager to destabilise the PDP.
In a letter written to the President, copies of which were sent to the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, they said the call for the removal of Chief Bode George from the BoT is being championed by enemies of the party who are members of the opposition party.
The letter reads: “We are absolutely disgusted with the crude, destructive politics presently playing out now in the South West. We are using this opportunity to caution the National Leadership of our party about the deliberate attempt of some fifth columnists whose sole motivation and purpose is to cause disunity and disaffection among the rank and file of the People Democratic Party in the South-West.
“The current evil machinations of some not so hidden hands to malign and taint the image of our leader, Chief Olabode George, is no doubt part of the grand strategy of the opposition forces as we embark on the epic struggle towards 2015.
“Let there be no doubt about it: the silly, petty and mischievous demand that Chief Olabode George should be removed from the party BOT is part of the orchestrated agenda of the Action Congress of Nigeria to cripple the credible voice of Chief Bode George in the South-West and thereby weaken and decimate the party. That is the long and short of it.
“It is laughable and nonsensical to hurry to court purporting to remove Chief Olabode George from the BOT. For record purposes, Chief Olabode George is a statutory life member of the National Caucus of the Party. He is a life member of the National Executive Committee and, of course, a life member of the BOT. He occupies these positions by the virtue of the offices he had once held in the party. He was at various times the National Vice-Chairman of the South-West, Deputy Chairman, South and National Deputy Chairman of the party. The constitution of the party, therefore, entitles him to the life membership of BOT, NEC and the National Caucus.
“Now, what is the business of the court with the spirit and practices of a party constitution? What is more, those who sent these mercenaries on this foolish assignment are well aware that their own chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, was jailed for four years by the Buhari regime for corrupt enrichment. And yet not a voice has been raised since the man eventually contested and became governor of Osun State. Presently, Akande who is ACN chairman is yet being proposed for the chairman of APC. Let them remove the log from their own eyes before pointing accusing fingers at others.
“We reject outright the debased mercenaries in our party who claim to be PDP in daytime but are dining and wining with ACN and practically playing out their script. It is an established fact that Chief Bode George is a selfless, committed and self-sacrificing leader of our party, not only in the South-West but in the whole nation. The challenges he had faced in the past, including the convoluted trial and undeserved incarceration are all products of very disdainful and wicked politics. His imprisonment was orchestrated and sponsored by the ACN clique. The truth is that Chief Bode George remains the strongest bulwark against the ACN domination of the South-West. He is their greatest headache because he cannot be bought or purchased.
“Asking for the removal of Chief Bode George from the BOT of our party, as silly as it is, is part of a despicable design to intimidate those who constitute the formidable and impenetrable core of President Goodluck Jonathan’s loyalists and then eventually sabotage the second term bid of Mr. President.
“Indeed, the current attempt to malign Chief Bode George is a crude, dubious proxy campaign against President Jonathan. Nothing more. So, the rumblings are not really about Bode George. It is a subtle war against the collective effort of all well-meaning leaders to get the party back on a solid footing.
“The offence of Chief Bode George here is his insistence with the collective leadership of the South-West PDP that the Chief Ishola Filani caretaker committee should be disbanded forthwith because it has outlived its usefulness. We all know that the Filani caretaker committee was supposed to be there just for 21 days. What is the man still doing there? He is busy manoeuvring to perpetuate himself in office. He is an aberration that must go NOW!
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with this position. This is the unifying decision of all the credible leaders in the South-West. We strongly and absolutely align with this view point. And for the record, we equally demand that the caretaker committee in the South-West should be disbanded immediately. Chief Filani has become a problem and a cog in the wheel of progress. He is openly flirting and conspiring with the enemies of our party.
“Whether these enemies of progress like it or not, there is no disputing the fact that Chief Olabode George is a man of solid, impeccable pedigree who has distinguished himself so honorably in the service of this nation. He is a noble scion of the Herbert Macaulay family who is part of a legacy of significant achievements that are etched forever in the history of this nation.
“We do know the circumstances of his imprisonment. It was a political machination. He was railroaded. Anyway, the case is still in court. Using this as a basis to attempt to taint his image will fail. That is the truth.
“We urge the national leadership of our party to take, as urgent, the immediate need to purge the growing ranks of fifth columnists and political sadists from our midst. We cannot continue like this. We must put a stop immediately to the mischievous and malicious litigations which are being presently provoked to cripple our great party. The petty and evil-minded characters behind all these contemptuous law suits are men of mysterious, dirty and compromised antecedents who should never be part of our great party.
“Though Chief Bode George has been out of the country for about five weeks now and we know also that he is noble enough to defend himself, we his loyal supporters believe that we should also speak out now to defend a good man and a good leader. We pray to God to bring him back in good health.
“Enough of this nuisance. The people have spoken. May God save us all from these enemies within”.
