Wike Says He Has No Regret Blocking Bode George’s PDP Chairmanship Bid

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he has no regret frustrating the ambition of former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, to become national chairman of the party.

Wike said George’s continued criticism of him was borne out of resentment over the decision to zone the PDP national chairmanship to the South-South, thereby blocking his bid for the position.

The minister, in a statement on Saturday by his senior special assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said George had continued to express anger since his ambition to lead the PDP was thwarted.

“His anger is because we didn’t allow him to be PDP National Chairman and no regret doing so,” Wike said.

According to him, George’s political frustration had been further compounded by the emergence of Deji Doherty, whom he said the former PDP chieftain did not want to see take charge of the party in Lagos State.

“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,” the minister said.

Wike recalled that, after the PDP national convention, he visited George’s residence in Maitama, Abuja, while serving as governor of Rivers State, in an attempt to reconcile with him.

“As a sitting governor, I visited his house in Maitama, Abuja, to appease him after the national convention, his wife attempted to walk me out, but for the intervention of former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko,” he said.

The FCT minister also described George as a failed politician, alleging that despite his long-standing influence and privileges within the PDP, he had failed to deliver electoral victories for the party in Lagos State since 1999.

“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 marketplace of politics, we can’t but allow him,” Wike said.

He further argued that leadership of a political party should not be based on name, title or claims of being a founding member, but on the ability to deliver electoral victories.

“Leadership of a political party is not by name, title or being a founding father. Rather, it is about what you are able to bring to the table in terms of winning elections, and in this regard, Bode George is a complete disaster,” he said.

Wike cited electoral results from George’s former polling unit in Lagos to support his claim, saying the PDP had repeatedly failed to secure victory there.

“Even his Unit 001 in Ward E2, Evans Street, Lagos Island, he has never won for the PDP. In the 2019 Presidential election, APC had 84 votes while PDP had 40. In the 2023 elections, he transferred his voter’s card to Eti-Osa, PDP had four votes in his polling unit,” the minister said.

Wike said George’s continued media appearances were an indication that he had little else to occupy his time.

“Since it appeared that he is not busy, he will continue to make his likes busy by creating reason for them to jump from one television station to the other,” he added.