
Bode George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has shared why he fell out with Nyesom Wike after initially supporting him against Atiku Abubakar in the lead-up to the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking on Arise TV, George accused former national chairman Iyorchia Ayu and Atiku of causing division within the party by disrupting its zoning arrangement. He explained that the crisis within the PDP stemmed from the 2022 national convention, where party leadership positions were heavily zoned to the northern region.
“The presidential candidate and the chairman both went to the northern zone, which was unfair,” George said. “That’s why I supported Wike and his group temporarily.”
He went on to explain that before siding with Wike, he had tried to reason with Atiku and Ayu, but they ignored him. George added that his decision to support Wike was driven by frustration with what he saw as unfair decisions from Atiku and Ayu.
However, George’s support for Wike turned to disillusionment when he learned that Wike’s group was considering backing Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“At that point, I realized their real intention was to support Tinubu,” George said. “I couldn’t support that, knowing what I know about Tinubu’s leadership in Lagos.”
George made it clear that he would have publicly opposed the idea if Wike’s group had gone forward with it.
