A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, has expressed deep disappointment over the formation of a new opposition coalition involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Speaking on TVC’s Beyond The Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye on Thursday evening, Chief George described the move as “personally disappointing,” accusing the trio of prioritizing personal ambition over national interest.
“I’m very disappointed. You don’t abandon your house because the roof is leaking; you stay, fix it and make it better,” Chief George declared, criticizing the new opposition bloc, reportedly using the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their platform.
He dismissed the defection of the PDP heavyweights, describing it as a betrayal by those who once benefited from the party. “David Mark, Atiku, and Obi all rose to prominence through the PDP. Now, they are abandoning the same party because their personal ambitions were not satisfied,” he lamented.
Chief George, a retired naval officer, invoked military discipline in his analogy, stating, “In the military, we don’t behave like rolling stones. Loyalty, dedication, and sacrifice to the collective good are key. You can’t just jump ship because things are tough.”
He also defended the state of the PDP, describing it as “healthy” and “resurrected” after resolving its internal crisis on June 30, which he referred to as the party’s “day of restoration.”
“In every organization, there will be crisis, but we sat down, told ourselves the truth, and came out stronger. What we achieved on June 30 was nothing short of a resurrection,” he said.
Speaking further, Chief George emphasized that the PDP’s foundational principle of zoning remains the fairest political solution for Nigeria, stressing that the nation’s founding political fathers had carefully designed a six-zone, six-power-centre arrangement to manage ethnic and religious diversity.
“The PDP’s constitution is clear on zoning and rotation of offices for justice, fairness, and equity. These defectors are dancing on the graves of the founding fathers by abandoning this principle,” he said.
Reacting to suggestions that the Atiku-Obi coalition may pose a serious electoral threat in 2027, George brushed off such concerns, dismissing their chances due to the PDP’s deep grassroots structures across Nigeria.
“PDP is an iroko tree. You can’t just uproot it overnight. Where in Nigeria won’t you find PDP? These people are chasing personal interests, not Nigeria’s interest,” he said.
He also criticized Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly the 2023 elections, citing the failure of the technology deployed by INEC.
“How can you say there was a glitch on election day? Ghana used the same technology and it worked. You can’t tell me the system failed at the critical hour,” he said.
Chief George expressed confidence that Nigerians would eventually see through what he described as the selfish motives behind the coalition, stressing that PDP remains the only credible alternative with proven governance experience.
“I’m a general. Give me 10 men, and if eight are loyal, I’ll go to war with them. Those who left are rolling stones. They will start afresh, but we already have the structures,” he said firmly.
As the interview concluded, Chief George called on PDP loyalists not to panic, urging them to remain steadfast.
“To PDP members feeling disappointed or confused, I say this: we’ve resolved our crisis. We are ready to reclaim Nigeria from hunger and insecurity. Let the people compare our 16 years in power to what they’re facing today under APC,” he said.
He concluded with a warning to defectors: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. But remember, we will meet on the field at campaign time.”
