Peoples Democratic Party Chieftain, Chief Bode George, has said he would not serve under the Tom Ikimi led PDP reconciliatory Committee.
George, while speaking on the crisis in the PDP, said this when he appeared on Arise TV Morning Show on Friday.
George said he won’t serve as a member of the Disciplinary Committee formed by the party to probe errant members who worked against the party in the last general elections.
Recall the PDP on Wednesday, August 21, as parts of efforts to address the ongoing crisis within its camp, inaugurated, the Reconciliation Committee, chaired by former Osun State Governor Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and the Disciplinary Committee, led by High Chief Tom Ikimi.
George a member of the PDP’s Board of Trustees said the party by the composition of the committee jumped the gun in the hierarchy, faulting his nomination as a member of the disciplinary committee to serve under Ikimi who he said joined the party later than he did.
George, who said there were party stakeholders who worked against the party in the last election based on the situation in various states, queried the disciplinary committee, was inaugurated “to try who?”
He said rather than constituting committees, issues that informed the crisis in the party should be resolved.
“And I said to them I can’t serve under him (Ikimi), because when did he join the party? We know within ourselves the various groupings that are dividing the party. That’s what the party should sit down first and resolve.
“I know Tom very well, he met me at this party. The founding fathers handed over to us. So the culture of the party, the do’s and don’ts are with us. So you don’t make me be a member under somebody that I know in terms of hierarchy of the party, and say I should go and serve under him. I made that observation to them. And they said, “Are you going to come?” I said no I’m not.
“I will not serve under Ikimi. I’m been very frank with myself. How much information or depth does he have concerning our party? You don’t do things like that. It’s an observation, and I’ve told the Chairman. At this age, I’m ready to stay home.
“Just setting up a committee, where will it lead you?” He questioned, saying emphasis should have been made to relate matters to the Board of Trustees.
“The main responsibility of the board of trustees is that we hold in trust the ownership of the party and that’s why we don’t do elections in the board of trustees. We want justice, we want fairness, and the chairman of the Board of Trustees accepted and waded into it.
“The party is still in various directions, for now, let’s get together. What we did that led us to this crisis had not been resolved. People who are fighting for the presidential candidature, the manoeuvring and all that, let’s resolve that,” he said.
George, who said the constitution of the committee is bent to one side of the divisions in the party, ruled out his active participation within the committee.
“The chairman of that committee is from one group, and the secretary of the committee is from the same group, so am I just to go there and sit and look like some undecided animal? No,” he said.
“We need to do a fundamental review of what went on during the last elections, come up with solutions, reunite everybody because a divided house will always remain a defeated house.
“This procedure we are wasting time, people are saying we are waiting for the PDP to provide a solid important opposition, rather than fighting within yourself,” he said. (PUNCH).
