Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has said that he is not contesting the national chairmanship seat of the party in the forthcoming convention holding in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but gave conditions that could force his interest in the race.
The chairmanship seat of the party is open for contest, following moves by PDP governors, members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and others against the incumbent, Prince Uche Secondus, a development which saw the party’s stakeholders cutting short the chairman’s tenure by two months.
Secondus’ tenure would have ended in December, but the party leadership, at its various meetings, insisted he should leave of office, come October, even as two State High Court rulings had also affirmed such.
Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, Prince Uthman Sodipe-Dosumu, Special Adviser (SA) to Chief George, said the elder statesman, who is also the Atona of the Source, was being urged by some leaders, who he did not mention, to indicate his interesting, while promising him their support.
Sodipe-Dosumu disclosed that one of the conditions George gave was that he would only throw himself into the race if the stakeholders agree to a consensus that they need a mature and experienced hand, with a national network of uniting the party together and will mend the broken places, rectify errors of the old, and return the party to its winning way.
According to him, other conditions being given by Chief George is that he would only spend two years, serve selflessly, after which he would leave office and return to play his role as an elder statesman.
“Chief Bode George is not interested in being the chairman. He says if the stakeholders come into a consensus that they need a mature and experienced hand, somebody who has a national network of uniting the party together, he will sacrifice two years and serve selflessly in office to mend the broken plate, to rectify errors of the old, ensure unity and return the party to its winning way.
“After that, he would leave office and return to play his role as an elder statesman,” Sodipe- Dosumu said.