Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees member, Chief Bode George, has said that the former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has every right to contest for the party’s national chairmanship position.
George stated this while featuring as a guest on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today anchored by Seun Okinbaloye.
He noted that while the PDP encourages consensus arrangements, it does not stop any member from seeking elective positions within the party.
“This has been part of the practice in the PDP. The fact that some leaders converge to support one person as a consensus candidate doesn’t mean others cannot compete,” George said.
He stressed that consensus is an acceptable procedure in the PDP but not binding on aspirants.
“You want to make the process seamless and non-combative. We’ve done this before, but the party has never told anyone they cannot contest. Governor Sule Lamido has the right to compete.
“He can get the form, fill it, and appear on the convention day. We will vote. That is the practice in our party,” he said.
George, ever so optimistic about PDP’s ability to bounce back from the brink, however, cautioned members against taking internal matters to court without first exhausting the party’s internal mechanisms for dispute resolution.
“This party is not owned by any individual. Before taking the party to court, you must exhaust the internal dynamics of the party. If you fail to do that, you can be punished,” he said.
The BoT member explained that although Lamido was free to contest, going to court over the matter could attract disciplinary measures.
“So, he is exercising his rights. But if he goes to court for this, he can be punished. Let him go, nobody will deny him any form, and he can compete. The final decision will be by delegates attending the convention, and it will be done openly,” George stated.
Lamido had on Monday threatened to take legal action against the PDP if denied access to the nomination form for the national chairmanship position ahead of its upcoming national convention.
The former governor visited the party’s national secretariat in Abuja to obtain the form but was informed by the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, that they had no information about its availability.
Briefing journalists afterwards, Lamido expressed dissatisfaction with the situation, insisting that as a founding member, he has the right to participate in the party’s democratic process.
“I went to the office of the National Organising Secretary, which is normally where the forms are sold, and the office was locked.
“I met him with the party’s Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and both of them said they had no idea where the forms were or even how they were printed. So, I found it a little weird that the custodians of the system are also being locked out,” Lamido said.
Reports later indicated that the PDP chairmanship forms were under the control of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who also serves as chairman of the party’s National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC).
