The leadership of the People’s Democratic Party has begun moves to resolve its internal crisis through dialogue after the Court of Appeal advised the party to settle its disputes internally, former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Bode George, has said.
Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Thursday, George said the party’s Board of Trustees reviewed the recent judgments delivered by the appellate court and agreed to obtain certified copies before determining the next steps.
According to him, “Two issues came up. We looked at the judgment from Abuja and then, as we were holding the meeting, a word came that the Court of Appeal in Ibadan had also resolved.”
He said the party considered the Ibadan court’s position as a constructive recommendation urging members to resolve their differences through dialogue.
“We saw it as a very civilised suggestion that we should examine the possibilities, since we are all from the same family, to come together and discuss the differences,” George said.
The PDP chieftain explained that once the party receives the certified true copies of the judgments, its leaders will meet to deliberate on possible solutions that could bring the warring factions together.
“Once we are ready, we will approach the Court of Appeal. If we are able to ease the differences among us, the lawyers say what you get is a consent judgment,” he added.
George stressed that no individual has ownership of the party, insisting that the leadership remains committed to preserving the ideals established by its founding members.
“Nobody owns this political party. We want to keep honouring the founding fathers of this party who came together from all parts of Nigeria to ensure democracy survives,” he said.
He further warned that Nigeria’s democratic system requires a strong opposition, noting that weakening opposition parties could undermine accountability in governance.
“This nation deserves to have a formidable opposition. Otherwise, you make the other party become a personalised empire for one individual, and that is not democracy,” George said.
The PDP elder statesman also appealed to party members to set aside personal ambitions and prioritise unity and the broader interests of the country.
“My plea is for those fighting for personal interests to drop it, because history will ask what they did for the people,” he added.
Triumph Ojo
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