A two time governorship aspirant in Edo State and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), High Chief Jacob Egietseme Idinye, has strongly criticised former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Olabode George, for his recent remarks against former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
It is recalled that Olabode George, yesterday, called on all stakeholders in PDP not to contemplate allowing the former Vice President and presidential candidate of the party in 2019 and 2023, Atiku Abubakar, to again emerge as the flag bearer in 2027.
Reacting to this development in a chat with some journalists in Abuja on Thursday March 6, 2025, High Chief Idinye accused George of overstepping his bounds by attempting to predict Nigeria’s political future.
The Edo born politician noted that elder statesmen should always act their age and not present themselves as laughing stock to serious-minded Nigerians.
“I have said it before and I am repeating it again that Chief Bode George should be properly guided and act as a honorable octogenarian, this is the best time for him to enjoy himself with his grandchildren at home, instead of making comments and could strip him of all decency and respect left in him. Elder statesmen should always act their age and stop wallowing in self-delusion and ego trip. What PDP needs now is unity and to come out strongly and ultimately defeat the Nigerian common enemy, which is the All Progressives Congress,” Idinye remarked, asserting that George lacks the authority to determine who will lead the nation in 2027.
“Chief George is the same man who swore that President Tinubu would not win the 2023 presidential election and even vowed to renounce his Nigerian citizenship and go into exile if Tinubu became President,” Idinye stressed.
Idinye further emphasised that the fate of Nigeria’s presidency in 2027 is not in George’s hands but in those of God and the Nigerian people.
“If God says Atiku will be President in 2027, nobody can stop him, not Chief George or anyone else. Meanwhile, presidential tickets are never handed to anyone on a platter of gold, you have to campaign rigorously for it and run for a primary election, for the record, that has been the practice in PDP since 1999. PDP understands, protects and preserves the tenets of internal democracy within its folks and that’s the beauty of democracy. In all the instances when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was made presidential standard bearer in PDP it was democratically done under a free, fair, transparent and credible election.
“Meanwhile, Chief Bode George who is talking today, what is his electoral value? Honestly we need men and women of integrity who will build our party and making it formidable for winning elections. We don’t want moles around us and those characters whose mission is to.destroy our party. Since 1999 the political structure of PDP in Lagos State has been in his hands, what has been the positive result since 1999 back to back? What value as he added?
“He can’t even deliver his polling unit, let alone Ward or Local Government. Look at all the PDP governorship candidates in Lagos, all of them left the party giving Baba George as the reason for their exits. The 2023 gubernatorial candidate for PDP, Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, Jandor just left our party on Monday and he equally blamed the reasons on Bode George. Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has gone, Ade Dosumu has gone, also Jimmy Agbaje, when Funsho Williams was alive, he had his own issues with Bode George as well.
“George also said Atiku and his cohorts in the PDP showed disrespect to the Southern Nigeria, going by the way they treated the region during PDP’s preparations for the 2023 elections, which ultimately infuriated some members making them work against the interest of their party in the last general poll. This is a fallacious statement coming from an octogenarian. Those who worked against Atiku in 2023 did so to satisfy their pecuniary interests at the expense of the party. Even in Lagos Bode George worked and campaigned against PDP, he worked against Jandor, he pitched his Labour Party candidate instead. Where was his party loyalty? Where was his integrity and discipline and patriotism as a leader? People like Baba George should never be taken seriously”
