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Nothing will stop PDP’s NEC meeting – Bode George
Nothing will stop the meet of Monday’s National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George former Deputy National Chairman, of the party insisted on Thursday, saying the parley is one of the immediate steps the party must take to cure itself.
George, who stated that the several crises being witnessed within the fold were “self-inflicted,” and the party was capable of curing itself, spoke against the backdrop of the announcement made on Wednesday by Umar Damagun, National Chairman that the meeting had been shifted.
A guest on The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on ARISE NEWS, television, George, told his host that he did not believe in the suggestion that the crises were irreparable, arguing that the situation stemmed from internal decisions and personal ambitions rather than structural failure.
His words: “I have been in this party since 1998. We have had crisis. There is no political organisation or any organisation, whether political or otherwise, that will not have crisis. And this is self-inflicted crisis. That’s what I’m saying. The people put their interest before the corporate interest of the party.
“I am pleading with all of them, those who still love this party, to please come down. We will meet on Monday. Call it whatever name you want to call it. And we will resolve our crisis. We will resolve it by Monday.”
When asked whether he believes the PDP can still be rescued despite its internal wranglings, George maintained that the ability to confront uncomfortable truths behind closed doors was a measure of leadership competence and party maturity.
He said: “When you have crisis within the party, like we have now, or between the legislative arm, the executive arm, and the party, it is the responsibility of the elders, the custodian of the liabilities and the assets of the party to weigh in. What I had done, and I will be quite explicit, is this. You know, there are two arguments about the meeting for Monday.
“The chairman said there will be no NEC meeting and stated there will be caucus meeting. Because according to him, you needed 21 days notice to the INEC. Now, the other members of the working committee said it was a postponement of NEC to the 30th of June. And that both the electoral act of 2022 and the INEC regulatory guidelines for political parties are right here.
“And now everybody is interpreting it in different manners. But I will read it for the benefit of the listening public. And let me tell you, there is no organisation anywhere in the world you will not have crisis. But your ability to close your doors, tell yourself some home truths, and reassess the areas of friction will be a measure of your competence to the public. I don’t see this as a breaking point. It’s a lesson. It’s a deep lesson for us.”
He expressed disappointment that party members were focusing on what he termed “lightweight” issues, while ignoring the need to restore internal order and discipline, saying that the members of the party need to themselves to order and find a way to move forward.
George was particularly blunt in his remarks about FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, rejecting any notion that he “owns” the PDP. While acknowledging Wike’s past contributions to the party, he condemned the minister’s recent actions — especially his public support for President Tinubu — as inconsistent with PDP values.
“When did Wike join the party? Who said he owns it? Okay. He has contributed his quota, yes. But to say he owns the party, that’s a fallacy.”
Despite the infighting and growing discontent, George remains adamant that the PDP remains the only truly national political party, with a structure and reach capable of revival.
“The only local political party in this country is PDP. No matter, anybody who wants to move off like a rolling stone, they can go. Leave those who are remaining, and we will bring this party back up,” he said.
Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor of Oyo State, on Thursday, finally threw his hats into the ring by declaring his intention to run for president in 2027, with a message – history beckons.
The governor, whose ambition has been a matter of speculations for months now and who had teamed up with forces angling to force President Bola Tinubu, out of power, told a teeming crowd in Ibadan on Thursday that time had come to reset Nigeria.
At a mega-rally to announce the alliance between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples’ Movement, (APM), Makinde, expressed worry over the dwindling fortunes of Nigerians, vowing to engage Nigerians to end the drift.
Hear him: “Without a multi-party system, there is no democracy. Where is our multi-party? Where do we go from here? We have been pushed to the wall.
“They calculated and self-opposition cannot unite but I am here to say that the opposition is the everyday Nigerian. This is the time for all us to ensure Nigeria works for us. This is the time to confront it fears. It is time to engage as citizens and not spectators.
“For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite and work in unity and give our nation the much reset it needs. The time to reset Nigeria is now. Ibadan is the city of warriors. The first grand alliance is formed. The PDP and APM is formed. This handshake will allow us to field candidates from presidency to state Assembly. And so, I declare my candidacy for office of the president of Nigeria.”
Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), on Wednesday, gave a detailed account on how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) manhandled him on Monday.
He told reporters that he was at sea on why he should fall victim to the assault against his person and eventually arrested given that was not right person directly involved in the information the agency sought.
Some operatives of the EFCC who invaded the hospital, had whisked Ekpe away after firing teargas to scare away the workers, patients and visitors to the hospital, following what appeared like a fracas the ensued over what it claimed was a routine duty in the facility.
Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), described how an operative had first entered his office to make inquiries on why the hospital was yet to give a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial.
He detailed how he briefed the operative that the said response was being prepared and even went ahead to show him the draft of a letter in that regard, which needed to go through the gamut of official endorsement before being released.
Hear him: “The head of that internal medicine department looked at the report and also discovered that the name of the doctor that signed the report is not a member of staff of that department.
“I had prepared prepared a response to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026, based on the findings. When the EFCC operative visited my office the next morning to collect the document, I told him that the response was ready in draft. I even showed him the draft, but told him that the document still needed approval from the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital before it could be officially signed and released.
“He pretended to have accepted that. He left, but later later returned with another armed operative and informed me that I was under arrest. I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit.
“But he said I would get the answer when I get to their office. I then asked him to at least wait for my staff member who I sent on an errand before joining them. But they refused.
“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office. Then I began to cry while they were dragging me. They had warned me not to speak. They had taken my phone. My cry as they were dragging me, attracted the workers to the scene, who enquired what was going on, but because they ordered me not to speak, I couldn’t say anything. They had their guns.
The members of staff of the hospital initially blocked them from taking me away. They then made a call. After that I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around and people ran away.
“They picked some staff that were still by me. they dragged me and other staff, five of us into their van downstairs. By that time they discovered that the gate of the hospital were locked. So, they drove towards the gate and packed and the commotion continued. We were inside the van.
“I was so emotionally and psychologically traumatised that I couldn’t even look out of the vehicle to see what was happening outside. But I know that teargas and live bullets were shot. That’s all I can say for now.”
Joyce Abdulmalik, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, heard on Wednesday, how Zenith Bank raised alarm over the huge transaction in one of its branches by Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF-MoJ).
The bank said it immediately filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) in respect to the transactions, during its appearance in the ongoing trial of Malami, his wife, and son over allegation of massive looting of funds belonging to the Federal Government during his tenure.
Mashelia Bata, a compliance officer with the bank, who appeared as witness in the case, where Malami, et al, are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion, to which they pleaded not guilty, gave the testimony while being questioned on the bank’s roles in the matter.
Details of the testimony conveyed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated how the compliance officer who was cross-examined by Adebayo Adedeji, lawyer to the defendants admitted that the deposits in the account statements complied with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Arguments had stretched when Adedeji, opposed Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), lawyer to the EFCC, who had asked the witness to explain the meaning of a suspicious transaction report, stressing that there was no ambiguity in the term.
However, Okutepa, in response, maintained that section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re-examining the witness while urging the court to allow the question for proper explanation.
After Abdulmalik, agreed and overruled Adedeji, the witness told the court that banks were required to alert the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) about fund deposits coming in a repetitive pattern, adding: “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.”
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