Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said he has no regrets over preventing former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George, from becoming the party’s National Chairman, describing him as a politician who has failed to secure electoral victories for the PDP in Lagos State.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike said George’s dissatisfaction had worsened following the emergence of Deji Doherty, whom he allegedly does not want leading the party in Lagos State.
“His anger is because we didn’t allow him to be PDP National Chairman and no regret doing so,” Wike said.
He further stated that George had sought the party’s top position despite the office being zoned elsewhere.
“He wanted to be PDP National Chairman, and was carrying on like the position was his birthright. We stopped him because it was the turn of the South-South. Since then, he has not stopped being angry.”
Wike also recalled visiting George’s residence in Maitama, Abuja, after the PDP national convention in an attempt to reconcile with him. According to the minister, he was almost denied entry by George’s wife before former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, intervened.
The FCT minister maintained that George had failed to translate his political influence into electoral success for the PDP in Lagos State.
“We have managed him even though we know that he has no value. But as it is, since he wants to keep dancing naked in the market place of politics, we can’t but allow him,” he said.
According to Wike, political leadership should be measured by electoral performance rather than titles or status within a party, insisting that George had fallen short in that regard.
He said George had never delivered victory for the PDP even in his own polling unit, Unit 001, Ward E2, Evans Street, Lagos Island.
Wike cited election results to support his claim, noting that in the 2019 presidential election, the APC secured 84 votes at the polling unit compared to the PDP’s 40 votes. He added that after George moved his voter registration to Eti-Osa ahead of the 2023 election, the PDP recorded only four votes at the same polling unit.
The minister also said George’s continued criticism would keep his supporters occupied with media appearances.
“Since Bode George appears not to be busy, he will continue to make his associates busy by giving them reasons to move from one television station to another.”
