A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Deji Doherty, has rejected claims that a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, was among its founding fathers.
Doherty said George joined the PDP after the party had been formed and was brought into its leadership structure by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Speaking during an interview with TVC News on Tuesday, the former Lagos State PDP chairman described George’s entry into the party as one of the mistakes made by Obasanjo.
“I think General Olusegun Obasanjo made one of the mistakes by bringing Bode George into the PDP,” Doherty said.
“First of all, I would like to clear one thing. Chief Bode George is not a founding father of the PDP.”
According to Doherty, the late former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, Sule Lamido and other early political leaders were among those who established the PDP.
He maintained that George joined the party either shortly before or after Obasanjo became President in 1999.
“The people that formed the party… Chief Bode George was brought in by General Obasanjo after he became President or just before he became President,” he said.
“So when he arrogates to himself being a founding member, that is not correct.”
Doherty also accused George of failing to properly manage the affairs of the PDP in Lagos State.
He claimed that Obasanjo entrusted the state chapter of the party to George but that the responsibility was poorly handled.
“Obasanjo just gave Lagos to Bode George to manage, and he has managed it in a very poor manner,” he said.
During the interview, Doherty displayed documents which he said related to previous attempts to reconcile aggrieved factions within the Lagos PDP.
He claimed that several respected party leaders had intervened in the crisis over the years without achieving lasting peace.
Doherty said the prolonged leadership dispute in the Lagos PDP should not be reduced to a struggle for control of the party.
According to him, the crisis should instead lead to the emergence of a younger generation of political leaders.
“I have seen things happen within the party that have made me decide that it is time for the younger people to come up,” he said.
“I don’t care whether you are from PDP, APC or anywhere. As a youth, you are the owners of this country and you must take charge, and we must move aside for you.”
