Bode George warns against using courts and INEC to harm PDP

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has raised concerns about attempts to control the party through court manipulation and misusing state institutions.

George made his views clear in a statement on Tuesday. He criticized the recent events surrounding the party's leadership crisis. He claimed some forces are trying to destabilise the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Recall that on April 30, the Supreme Court delivered a divided 3-2 judgment. This ruling nullified the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16 last year. The convention was backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and led to the establishment of the Turaki-led leadership.

After the court's decision, the Board of Trustees, led by Adolphus Wabara, set up an Interim National Working Committee. They kept Turaki and other members of the dissolved leadership. This new group is still operating alongside the PDP leadership recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission and associated with the Nyesom Wike-backed faction.

Meanwhile, the faction led by Mohammed Abdulrahman and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu is moving forward with plans for the 2027 elections. They have started selling nomination forms to candidates. This faction’s activities are recognized by INEC, which allows them to upload candidate details on its platform.

On the other hand, the Turaki-led faction is still active. They continue to issue nomination forms to aspirants despite lacking INEC recognition. As the crisis deepens, many legal battles are ongoing in various courts. The outcomes of these cases will significantly influence the future direction and leadership of the PDP.

Reacting to this, George expressed his concerns about the political interference that seems aimed at weakening opposition parties before the 2027 elections.

He said, “What is unfolding before our eyes is nothing short of an assault on constitutional democracy. There appears to be a deliberate attempt to weaponise institutions of state against opposition political parties because some people are afraid of allowing Nigerians to freely choose their leaders. That is not democracy. That is political intimidation.

“Let me be absolutely clear. There is nothing dishonourable about being a driver. Honest labour deserves dignity and respect. However, nobody becomes the National Chairman of one of Africa’s largest political parties by executive fiat or political manipulation. Leadership is earned through years of sacrifice, service, loyalty, commitment, and democratic legitimacy.

“The issue is not that this man (Abdulrahman Mohammed) was once a driver. The issue is that someone with no known democratic pedigree, no recognised history of building the PDP, no record of leadership within its structures, and no visible contribution to the party’s growth is suddenly being projected as National Chairman.

“Who knows him in our democratic struggle? Where was he when this party was founded in 1998? What sacrifice has he made for the PDP? Leadership cannot be manufactured overnight simply because powerful interests have decided to impose someone on a political party.”

George urged the judiciary and INEC to respect the Constitution and follow the principles of Nigerian law.

He added, “Every discerning Nigerian can see what is happening. This is not about promoting one individual. This is about infiltrating, destabilising, and ultimately destroying the PDP from within. Those behind this agenda are attempting to use one man as a vehicle to weaken the opposition. The law on this issue has been settled for decades.”

George warned that those who misuse political power often face the judgment of history.

He stated, “The message from our superior courts has been consistent for over forty years: political parties must be allowed to regulate their own internal affairs within the framework of their constitutions and the law.

“INEC itself is a constitutional umpire. Its responsibility is to register political parties, monitor their activities as provided by law, and conduct free, fair, and credible elections. It must never create the impression that it is determining who should lead a political party or taking sides in internal political disputes.

“Once institutions established to protect democracy begin to determine the leadership of political parties, the very foundation of constitutional democracy is placed in jeopardy. I have served this country under military rule and under democracy. I know what happens when institutions lose their independence. Power is temporary. Institutions must endure.

“Those who think they can capture every institution of state and suppress the opposition should remember that governments come and go, but history remains. Every abuse of power carries within it the seed of its own destruction.”

George emphasized that no government has the right to decide opposition leadership or candidates. These decisions belong to political parties and voters.

He concluded with a serious warning, saying, “At over eighty years of age, I have watched this nation through military rule, through the struggle for democracy, and through successive civilian administrations. I have seen governments come and go. One lesson history has taught me is this: no government has ever grown stronger by weakening democratic institutions.

“Democracy does not belong to the APC. It does not belong to the Presidency. It belongs to the Nigerian people. No government has the constitutional or moral authority to determine who should lead an opposition political party or who should contest an election. That decision belongs to political parties and ultimately to the Nigerian electorate.

“The continued weaponisation of institutions against the opposition is dangerous for our national stability. A democracy without a credible opposition is no democracy at all.

“I therefore call on the judiciary to remain faithful to the Constitution, on INEC to discharge its constitutional responsibilities without fear or favour, and on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that every institution of government remains above partisan interests. The enduring legacy of any President is not the number of political victories he secures, but the strength of the democratic institutions he leaves behind.”

The elder statesman promised to keep defending democracy through legal and constitutional means.

The statement concluded, “History teaches one lesson that those intoxicated by power often forget: power is transient. Every abuse of power has an expiry date. Every attempt to subvert democracy ultimately collapses under the weight of justice and truth.

“We shall continue to defend democracy through every lawful and constitutional means. We owe that duty to those who fought for this democracy, to those who paid the supreme price for it, and to generations of Nigerians yet unborn.

“No individual is greater than Nigeria. No political party is greater than the Constitution. Democracy must prevail.