By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has declared that party discipline remains the foundation of every successful political organization.
The party specifically declared that members who have been sanctioned or expelled remain subject to the provisions of the PDP Constitution, stressing that their status can only be reviewed through the appropriate constitutional processes of the party, and not through media campaigns or public attacks.
The PDP said this on Thursday in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Jungudo Haruna Mohammed in response to Chief Bode George’s ARISE TV outburst.
The party made it abundantly clear that the era of self appointed power brokers in PDP is over.
The Nyesom Wike-backed PDP stated that “history is moving forward. The PDP is moving forward. Those unwilling to embrace that reality are free to remain behind”.
The statement by the party reads, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has watched with profound disappointment the interview granted by former party member, Chief Bode George, on ARISE Television on Wednesday, 29 July 2026.
“What Nigerians witnessed from his interview was the outburst of a man struggling to come to terms with the reality that the PDP has moved beyond the era when a handful of self-appointed power brokers dictated the destiny of the party for their personal convenience. That era, in which some individuals considered the leadership of the party their perpetual entitlement.
“One would ordinarily have expected a man of his age, experience and former standing within the party to speak with restraint, wisdom and a sense of responsibility. Unfortunately, his appearance in the TV show was marked by anger, envy, resentment and unguarded remarks that failed to reflect the dignity of an acclaimed elder statesman.
“Rather than offering thoughtful analysis or constructive contributions to the issues under discussion, he resorted to personal attacks and inflammatory comments that neither advanced the conversation nor reflected the values of responsible political engagement.
“Regrettably, his repeated resort to abusive language speaks more about his disposition than it does about the leadership or affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“The interview also exposed an unwillingness to embrace generational renewal. Every enduring political institution survives because experienced leaders mentor younger generations rather than attempting to permanently dominate the political space.
“The PDP is proud to be creating opportunities for competent and committed younger leaders to emerge, and no amount of resistance can reverse that democratic evolution.
‘Contrary to his assertions, the National Chairman of our great party, Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, with other members of the National Working Committee, has demonstrated uncommon leadership traits anchored on humility, inclusiveness, transparency and strict adherence to democratic principles in steering the affairs of the party.
“Under the leadership of Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, the Peoples Democratic Party has conducted one of its smoothest primary election processes in recent history, despite the enormous political and legal challenges inherited by the present leadership.
‘The transparent and credible conduct of these primaries has created opportunities for thousands of party members to freely pursue their political aspirations ahead of the 2027 general elections. It is therefore surprising that Chief Bode George now seeks to discredit those working tirelessly to reposition the party.
“On the legal issues, the position of the Peoples Democratic Party remains unequivocal. The courts, from the trial courts to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, have spoken clearly and consistently on the issues affecting the party.
“Those judgments remain valid, binding and enforceable, and they cannot be wished away by personal opinions or media commentary.
“The recognition accorded to the leadership of Alhaji Abdulrahman and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant institutions is not a matter of sentiment or political convenience, but a direct consequence of compliance with the rule of law and the subsisting decisions of competent courts.
“While Chief Bode George and his co-travellers remain at liberty to pursue every lawful legal remedy available to them, they should be under no illusion that the Peoples Democratic Party has moved forward and will continue to defend its mandate, the integrity of its decisions, and the authority of its duly constituted organs through every lawful process until all legal proceedings are finally concluded.
“If they are determined to continue the legal contest, the party is equally prepared to defend its position with the same resolve.
“The facts remain sacred, and no amount of rhetoric can alter the settled legal position.
“Chief Bode George and his likes should be reminded that no amount of television appearances, emotional outbursts or attempts to delegitimise the current leadership can overturn lawful decisions or erase the remarkable progress the PDP has made in recent months. “The PDP has moved beyond the era when a privileged few often determined the destiny of millions of members behind closed doors. We are not unaware of the reasons for their frustrations.
“We further remind Chief Bode George that respect within any political organisation is earned through discipline, loyalty and adherence to the party’s constitution, and not through public insults.
“In saner climes, Bode George ought to have resigned voluntarily from the party after feeding fat on PDP for over 20 years with zero successes recorded in Lagos State. “What can he call his achievements in all these years of his non-productive leadership other than scavenging from state to state? “Unfortunately, he waited until such a time he was expelled for misconduct, a decision he acknowledged being aware during the TV interview.
“Nigerians are hereby reminded that characters such as Chief Bode George should not, by any stretch of the imagination, be regarded as moral authorities on issues of leadership or political integrity. “Those who have consistently acted in disregard of valid court judgments cannot claim the moral high ground.
“Again, this is the same man aptly described by many as the Grand Commander of Lamentations (GCOL), who repeatedly and publicly vowed to leave Nigeria for Ghana if Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged victorious in the 2023 presidential election.
“He first made that declaration in March 2022, reaffirmed it during an Arise Television interview in November 2022, and even insisted after the election that his plan to leave Nigeria remained “on course.” “Yet, despite those emphatic pronouncements, he could not even make the symbolic journey to Seme Border or Idiroko in fulfilment of his own vow.
“This and other records of inconsistency diminishes the credibility of his present-day pronouncements and underscores why his latest outbursts should be viewed as expressions of personal frustration rather than objective commentary on the affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“It is, therefore, ironic that a man whose public declarations have repeatedly proven hollow now seeks to lecture Nigerians and pass judgment on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, as well as on national affairs, particularly the judiciary.
‘Such commentary carries little moral or persuasive weight when measured against his own record and the inconsistencies that have characterised his public positions.
“Let Chief Bode George be reminded that the court’s order awarding costs of ₦10 million against him and his co-plaintiffs for instituting what the court found to be a frivolous and vexatious action remains valid, binding and enforceable.
“Compliance with that order is a legal obligation and not a matter of personal choice.
“Finally, party discipline remains the foundation of every successful political organization. Those who have been sanctioned or expelled remain subject to the provisions of the PDP Constitution, and their status can only be reviewed through the appropriate constitutional processes of the party, and not through media campaigns or public attacks.
21. History is moving forward.
‘The PDP is moving forward. Those unwilling to embrace that reality are free to remain behind”, the statement concluded.
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