Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, as a politician without significant electoral value, saying he has failed to deliver victories for the party in Lagos State.
Wike said he does not regret opposing George’s ambition to become National Chairman of the PDP, insisting that the position was meant to go to the South-South at the time.
The minister made the remarks in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.
According to Wike, George has remained angry since his ambition to lead the PDP at the national level was frustrated.
“He has no regret doing so,” Wike said, explaining that George “wanted to be PDP National Chairman, and was carrying on like the position was his birthright.”
The FCT minister said George was prevented from emerging because it was the turn of the South-South to produce the party’s National Chairman.
Wike also recalled visiting George at his residence in Maitama, Abuja, while serving as governor of Rivers State, in an attempt to resolve the disagreement following the party’s national convention.
He alleged that George’s wife initially attempted to prevent him from gaining access to the residence before former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, intervened.
Wike further questioned George’s political influence in Lagos, arguing that despite his long years in the PDP and the positions he has occupied, he has not been able to secure meaningful electoral victories for the party in the 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,” Wike said.
The minister maintained that political leadership should be measured by electoral performance rather than by a politician’s title, age, experience or status as a founding member of a party.
According to him, George’s record in Lagos does not demonstrate the ability required to lead a major political organisation.
Wike specifically challenged George’s electoral record in his own polling unit, alleging that the PDP had consistently performed poorly there.
He cited the 2019 presidential election, when the APC reportedly secured 84 votes at George’s polling unit, compared with 40 votes recorded by the PDP.
Wike added that after George transferred his voter registration to Eti-Osa ahead of the 2023 election, the PDP recorded only four votes at his former polling unit.
The FCT minister therefore argued that George could not credibly claim to possess the electoral strength needed to determine the political direction of the PDP in Lagos.
Wike also suggested that George’s recent criticisms were partly driven by disagreements over political developments in Lagos, particularly the emergence of Deji Doherty, whom George allegedly does not want to lead the PDP structure in the state.
He concluded by mocking George’s frequent media appearances, saying that since the former PDP chieftain appeared to have little else to occupy his time, he would continue to provide his associates with reasons to appear on television programmes.
The latest exchange further deepens the long-running political disagreement between the two PDP figures.
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