PDP bent its Constitution for Atiku, others to compete in party primary —Bode George
by ebor cletus ralph jr
A chieftain of the opposition, Olabode George, claimed that the participation of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and other northern aspirants in the presidential primary election, was at odds with the party’s constitution. This comes as some PDP members continue to call for the resignation of the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in the interest of inclusivity.
This was in response to a remark made by Atiku after Governor Nyeson Wike’s camp withdrew from the party’s presidential campaign operations, in which he insisted on adhering to the party’s constitution in an effort to oust Ayu.
Governors Nyeson Wike, Seyi Makinde, and other prominent party figures from the South withdrew from the election due to the National Chairman’s refusal to resign.
In an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, George said that the party’s constitution had been adjusted to allow Atiku Abubakar to participate and eventually become the standard bearer.
When a northerner emerged as a presidential contender, the National Chairman promised to quit, he recalled, adding that the repeated requests for his resignation were made only on moral grounds.
“The issue we are talking about is purely moral. This is not about the issue of constitutionality. We used the same moral to allow Atiku Abubakar to compete in the presidential primary. The Constitution of the party was bent over backwards. If Northern candidate emerges President after President Muhammadu Buhari, doesn’t that affect the inclusivity envisaged by our founding fathers?”, George said
“It is rather unfortunate that the presidential candidate talked about the issue of constitution. The onus on him is that he is a unifier. If he can’t unite the party, how does it tend to unite Nigeria?”, he added.
