FORMER deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has warned of an impending crisis within the Lagos State chapter of the party ahead of its ward and local government congresses.
In an open letter to the National Working Committee (NWC), George accused the Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo, of unilaterally handling the distribution of congress nomination forms without consulting party leaders in the state, in disregard of ongoing efforts by senior stakeholders to build consensus across local governments ahead of the congresses.
The Lagos PDP leader described the move as “a recipe for acrimony, mayhem and potential court cases” if left unchecked.
George expressed readiness to personally fund the fair distribution of forms to ensure equal access for contestants across the state, adding: “It is disturbing that Koshoedo, who has not been involved in the activities of the party in Lagos, either financially or otherwise, collected the forms and single-handedly decided how they would be distributed.”
He alleged that some forms were handed to individuals who had defected to opposition parties, including the ADC, wondering why loyal PDP leaders, including two life-members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), were sidelined in the process.
George faulted the involvement of Koshoedo’s aide in the direct distribution of nomination forms, querying: “Does Koshoedo’s position as a member of the NWC give him the right to appoint leaders in Lagos at his own discretion?”
He stated that the party, which is still recovering from past internal disputes, could not afford another crisis, recalling that its poor performance in Lagos State in the 2023 general elections was the worst in the history of the chapter.
He described Koshoedo’s conduct as “insulting, unfair, unjust and unacceptable,” warning that his continued interference could plunge the state chapter into deeper division, adding: “We are forced to declare him a political persona non grata in Lagos due to his actions.
“We appeal to the NWC to intervene urgently before this matter escalates.”
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