Bode George, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has denounced the rumored plan by Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Douye Diri of Bayelsa State to switch to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Shameless, shambolic, annoying, and disgraceful” is how George characterized the action, emphasizing that it is an insult to the people who trusted them with their mandates on the PDP platform.
Mbah and Diri are reportedly set to officially join the APC on October 14, despite the fact that the party leadership in both states has remained silent on the matter.
George responded to rumors that the governors and other PDP leaders would be pressured to join the ruling party in an interview with Vanguard, saying there was no reason to be concerned.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” George responded, “but I’m not sure whether they are being blackmailed. For what reason do people feel fear? You must be employed by the government. They ought to think about their supporters. Their secret will undoubtedly be revealed if they have done something in secret. That is nothing to be terrified about.
If the defections persisted, the PDP mainstay said, Nigeria might potentially descend into a one-party regime, which he called intolerable.
“That will be the biggest failure of this country,” he added. No two of us can be in the same situation. I don’t think Nigerians would be complaining if their (APC) government was doing well. It’s vile.
The country is rife with resentment and famine, and several governors are defecting to the APC. You must make sure the rope around your waist is tight and good if you are jumping ship, as we say in the Navy.
George said that Nigerians had a right to know why the governors had left the party they were voted to.
“Have they returned to the people who gave them their mandate to inform them of their intention?” he asked. They received their mandate because the public supported the party’s platform. It is shambolic and blatant. They need to explain to us why they chose the APC.
Nigerians will vote in 2027, the PDP leader insisted, adding that no number of defections would ensure the APC’s political supremacy.
“They cannot establish a one-party state in Nigeria,” he continued. That isn’t feasible. Although the APC doesn’t do what the PDP does, they will be startled by what Nigerians would do to them in 2027.
