By Akinwale Kasali
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has called for the political retirement of former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George. Fayose said for the Party to progress in Lagos State Bode George should go.
Fayose’s Media Aide, Lere Olayinka, said in a statement on Wednesday that Fayose, who spoke during the inauguration of the PDP Campaign Committee for the Lagos East Senatorial District bye-election slated for next Tuesday, emphasised that George should rather be in support, and stand for the younger ones in the party, instead of dragging positions with them.
Urging the Electorate to support the PDP candidate in the senatorial bye-election, Babatunde Gbadamosi, Fayose said: “Lagos is ripe for PDP to take, and we will take the State if we work hard, and put our house in order.
“This Senate election is for PDP to take if we are ready to take it.
“You have done it before by producing House of Representatives members, and you can do it again by producing a senator.”
Fayose, however, said that “Before PDP can win any election in this Lagos, the party must first separate wheat from chaff”.
He stressed that George is one of the “chaff in the wheat”, unless he retires politically and leave the political stage for the younger ones.
Fayose also urged leaders of the party in Lagos State to desist from exposing rancour among the party members. He laid emphasis on giving the younger ones in the party the opportunity to grow and allow them to be in key positions in the party.
According to Fayose: “It is high time we told Bode George to go and retire.
Let him be a support- stand for the younger ones in the party.
“As I am here, I am about 60 years of age.
I have grown above fighting for Minister that it will get to a point and someone will say he is sacking me.
“I will never be such Minister, not to talk of contesting any post with younger ones in the party.
“It is time for young people in the party to tell the elderly ones to take the back seat.
“I’m not against the elders, but I want them to know when to take the back seat.
If they don’t, the young ones will force them.
“All those stories of we formed this party in 1998, eight of us sat in my sitting room to form the party, is no longer important because the young too must be allowed to grow.
“At this level, if you see any elder contesting chairman with the younger ones, you must know that such fellow needs to be retired.
“I am Ayodele Fayose, you can quote me anywhere.
I said you must retire Bode George if you want progress in the PDP in Lagos.
You must stand firm and fight for your right.
“As an elder, he is supposed to stay at home and be giving blessing to his children aspiring to grow, not to be contending positions with them.”
The PDP has been in constant opposition in Lagos State since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
