Bode George accuses PDP’s NWC of being responsible for the defeat in the 2023 election due to their search for candidates with ATM

Bode George, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has lambasted the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for its inability to win the 2023 presidential race.

George said as much to a group of journalists in Lagos.

In order to increase the party’s chances in upcoming elections, he criticised the NWC for departing from the established protocols that the PDP’s founding fathers had established for holding congresses and primary elections.

“After ten years of service in the national secretariat, I can attest to the simplicity of the issue that always comes up during election seasons. It all began during the Uche Secondus era, and I’d prefer not to reveal my party in public. Although it is a huge crisis, it is relatively easy to resolve.

Bode George said, “I won’t say more than that. The way the founding fathers designed the handling of primaries and congresses, they altered it.”

However, it is the main problem facing the party. As you are aware, no one owns our party, yet certain people act and appear to be representatives of the organisation. We need to change them, and those are the topics we will talk about when we reconvene in our party’s inner chambers. When I was there, there was no crisis, and that was the approach taken.

“The Lagos governorship primaries are a prime example; individuals who don’t reside or have business in the area are summoned to conduct the primaries. How is it possible for someone from the outside to know your home better than you do? When they arrive, instead of letting people cast their votes, they will search for the candidates, using them as their own personal Automated Teller Machine, or ATM.

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After they’re done, they’ll dash back to the national organising office to vouch for the candidate they backed. I won’t go into further detail, though, because that is the main issue you are facing because it is impossible to combat outsiders if you start at the bottom and hold primaries at the ward and local government levels, dividing people there.

In order to resolve these problems and clear the path for the PDP, George advocated for the formation of a reconciliation committee. In order to prepare for the 2023 elections, he emphasised the significance of thoroughly reviewing the party’s experiences in every state.

There should be no quick fix; hiding everything under the rug is a stupid course of action. A committee has to be established to travel the nation, state by state, and investigate people’s experiences, financial situations, and political aspects. How were each state’s primaries conducted? And who did it?