‘He can’t win elections’ – Wike fires back at Bode George

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said he has no regrets about opposing the bid of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, to become the party’s National Chairman.

Wike described George as a failed politician, claiming that he has not helped the PDP win any election in Lagos State since 1999.

The minister made his position known in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

According to Wike, George’s political frustration has been worsened by the emergence of Deji Doherty, whom he said the former PDP chieftain does not want to lead the party in Lagos State.

Wike maintained that his decision to oppose George’s emergence as PDP National Chairman was based on his political assessment and that he had no reason to regret it.

“His anger is because we didn’t allow him to be PDP National Chairman and no regret doing so,” Wike said.

He added that George “wanted to be PDP National Chairman, and was carrying on like the position was his birthright. We stopped him because it was the turn of the South-South. Since then, he has not stopped being angry.”

The minister recounted an incident in which he visited George’s residence in Maitama, Abuja, as a sitting governor, to appease him after the national convention. But was nearly turned away by George’s wife until former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, intervened.

Wike described George as a politician who, despite all the privileges and power at his disposal, has failed to deliver electoral victories for the PDP in Lagos State.

“We have managed him even though we know that he has no value. But as it is, since he wants to keep dancing naked in the market place of politics, we can’t but allow him,” he said.

The minister argued that leadership of a political party is not determined by name, title or status as a founding father, but by the ability to win elections. He said on that score, Bode George is “a complete disaster.”

Citing specific electoral figures, Wike said George has never won even his own polling unit, Unit 001 in Ward E2, Evans Street, Lagos Island, for the PDP.

He noted that in the 2019 presidential election, the All Progressives Congress, APC, polled 84 votes at the unit against the PDP’s 40, while in 2023, after George transferred his voter’s card to Eti-Osa, the PDP recorded only four votes at his former polling unit.

Wike said that since Bode George appeared not to be busy, he would continue to make his associates busy by giving them reason to move from one television station to another.

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