By Charles Igbo
If the pronouncement by Chief Bode George is to be taken seriously, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, may soon lose one of its staunch members.
After holding high profile positions in the party, the last being its Deputy National Chairman, Bode George says there is the likelihood that he would ditch the party in order to consummate his ambition.
And the ambition? George, who retired as a Navy Commodore, and quickly joined politics, says he wants to run for the presidency of Nigeria in 2023.
Nobody knows if he is serious, or just talking. But he says he would not contest on the platform of his party, the PDP.
He stopped short of labelling the party a disappointment, emphasising that the PDP had failed to play its role as an opposition party.
Speaking to The Punch Newspaper, Bode George said he was not likely to contest on the PDP platform.
George: “The PDP has not lived up to its potential. The APC is made up of a bunch of opportunists. Everything is just going bad in the country.”
Meaning: he would contest on a new platform.
This magazine reliably gathered that there have been talks on the formation of a new mega party, to challenge both the PDP and the APC in 2023, but the thought of such a party, nominating Bode George as its Presidential candidate, most people say, is remote.
Even though he said one of the many thrusts of his government would be to unify the country, which he said has been fractured, and on the verge of collapse, his main reason for deciding to run for the Presidency seems to be to settle a personal and political score with APC chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. George says he would run for the Presidency , especially since speculation remain strong that Tinubu would run for the Presidency in 2023. He said if true, he would run against Tinubu.
George:”I was approached by many people to contest, especially now that Bola Tinubu is said to be planning to contest. I have not said yes or no since 2023 is still far. But yes, I will like to contest against Tinubu in 2023.”
For years, there has been no love lost between the two men.
Politically, they belong to different parties and they don’t agree. Their relationship worsened when a Lagos High Court imprisoned Bode George over alleged contract splitting as Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
An Appeal Court later declared him innocent, and freed him from jail.
George holds Tinubu responsible for his ordeal.
However, his hint that he may quit the PDP has attracted harsh reactions, and so has his desire to challenge Bola Tinubu for the Presidency in 2023.
A section of the party says members cannot wait to see him leave the party.
“He is a clog in the wheel of progress of the party,” a Lagos PDP top shot who pleaded anonymity told this magazine.
Continuing he said: Bode George has been a destabilising force in the Lagos PDP. He wants to be the PDP leader in Lagos. No problem, except that he does not act like a leader. He is always quarreling with one party member or the other. His quarrel with his former ally, Jimmy Agbaje, is legendary. It will not be out of place to say that he is one of the reasons for the party’s bad outings in Lagos.”
Another party member said he had a good laugh when he was told Chief George plans to run for the Presidency in 2023.
“Talk is free. It is his privilege to talk and aspire. But which party will field him? That party has failed already. He wants to run because Tinubu is also planning to run? Anyway, he is not serious. How does he think he could challenge Tinubu?
“Number one, he does not have Tinubu’s reach nationally. He does not even have as much followers in the South West as Tinubu does. Number two, he has never defeated Tinubu in Lagos before. Let him start by defeating Tinubu in Lagos first.
“His claim that people are asking him to run is false. Nobody did. He is on an ego trip. But, it is his decision. I wish him well.”
However, neither Tinubu nor George has publicly categorically confirmed any aspiration in 2023. Their aides are doing the talking for them.
Tinubu already has a 2023 national media team.
Inaugurating the National Executive Committee of the Tinubu Media Team, TMT2023, Abdullahi Umar Farouk, Legislative Aide to Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives said: “Tinubu would succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, in recognition of his contributions to the development of the country’s democracy.”
A three-time member of the House of Representatives, Farouk is from Kebbi state. Gbajabiamila is a Tinubu acolyte.
Last Friday, Bode George’s Special Adviser, Mr Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu, flaunting an authority from George to announce his interest in the Presidency in 2023, said his Principal will run for Presidency in 2023.
