Bode George Condemns Police Disruption of PDP Meeting, Warns Against North Korea-Style Governance
By Sholeye Ayodele, Lagos
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has condemned the deployment of police officers to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, which blocked the scheduled meetings of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) set for Monday.
Speaking to journalists after being denied access to the secretariat along with other members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), George warned the Federal Government against actions that could destabilize the country.
He said,
“It’s strikingly annoying. This is our property. Was there any court order to say we will not hold our meeting in our office? What is going on? I was a young man in 1962 when it all started in the South West. We must avoid that madness. What is it? Can’t we sit and talk? What is the essence of democracy?”
He further expressed outrage over the police blockade, adding,
“Nigerians are watching. You came to our office, surrounded it with police because we want to have a meeting? You want to turn us into North Korea or turn this country into Russia? We will not allow it. Nigerians will not allow it.”
George maintained that the meeting would still take place, though he did not disclose the new venue.
Earlier that day, heavily armed police officers had taken control of Wadata Plaza, the PDP headquarters in Abuja, amid rising political tension over the NEC meeting. The officers reportedly barred members of the party’s BoT from entering the building.
