A former South-West National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olabode George, has blamed the lingering crisis rocking the opposition party on greed, personal ambition, and a growing disregard for the ideals laid down by its founding fathers.
George stated this during an interview on the Frontline programme of Eagle 102.5 FM in Ijebu-Ilese, Ogun State, on Thursday.
The PDP chieftain said the internal divisions within the party were not driven by ideological disagreements but by the refusal of some members to respect the zoning formula designed by the party’s founding leaders to ensure fairness and national balance.
According to him, the zoning arrangement was deliberately structured to rotate the presidency among the country’s six geopolitical zones every eight years in order to promote inclusiveness in Nigeria’s diverse political environment.
He explained that the arrangement was meant to guarantee that every part of the country, including minority groups, had a fair opportunity to produce the nation’s leader.
George, however, lamented that the framework collapsed when personal interests began to override collective party discipline.
He said, “It started because of avarice, because of greed and a lack of respect for constituted authorities. The guidelines stipulated by the founding fathers of our party were completely ignored.”
The elder statesman further claimed that the crisis deepened when an individual allegedly ignored the zoning principle and insisted on contesting for the presidency, triggering political manoeuvres that later escalated into wider conflicts within the party.
“How did we miss it? The main point is human greed. One fellow came out and said, ‘I don’t care whatever it is, I am going to contest.’ All the manipulations that followed started from there,” he said.
George expressed concern that the current state of the party would disappoint its founding leaders, many of whom are now deceased.
According to him, the party’s founding fathers would be “shaking violently in their graves” over the erosion of the principles they established to guide the organisation.
The PDP has been battling internal wrangling since the aftermath of the 2023 Nigerian general election, with leadership disputes, court battles, and defections further weakening the party.
The crisis worsened after the Court of Appeal reportedly voided the PDP’s November 2025 national convention held in Ibadan over procedural irregularities.
The opposition party has also recorded several high-profile defections, including that of Siminalayi Fubara, who dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress in December 2025 alongside several lawmakers and party loyalists.
George insisted that the only path to rebuilding the party lies in a return to discipline, respect for party rules, and strict adherence to the zoning arrangement.
He added that restoring the founding principles of the PDP remained crucial to repositioning the party as a strong opposition force in Nigeria’s political landscape.
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