By Adeyemi Adeleye
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, on Tuesday urged President Bola Tinubu to speak up over the alleged forceful police takeover of the PDP National Secretariat.
George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos, said the President’s silence suggested approval of the action.
George said the alleged police action was a threat to democracy.
He accused actors within the APC-led Federal Government of undermining institutions for 2027 political gains at the expense of national stability.
George said the Nov. 18 alleged disruption at the party Secretariat by a group previously expelled from the party signalled a serious assault on democratic order.
He alleged that a serving Federal Minister encouraged the group to forcibly challenge the authority of duly elected party leaders.
The PDP Board of Trustees member questioned the legality of the alleged police occupation of the party headquarters, asking who authorised the action and under what law.
According to him, the alleged invasion amounted to “a tenant attempting to overtake the landlord”.
He warned that the President must not remain silent while democratic principles were eroded in a manner reminiscent of the events that preceded the collapse of the First Republic.
George recalled how the political infractions of 1962 to 1966, left unchecked, eventually destabilised the nation and culminated in widespread unrest.
He said the attempts to weaken the PDP mirrored the intolerance that triggered the “Operation Wetie” crisis of the Western Region.
The PDP elder said the party governed the country for 16 years without harassing or weaponising institutions against opposition politicians.
George also queried why PDP-related legal matters were consistently routed to the same judges in the Abuja Division, insisting that the Judiciary must be seen as impartial.
He said fairness in the justice system was essential to maintaining public trust and national equilibrium.
The PDP leader appealed to Minister Nyesom Wike to avoid acts capable of destroying the party that elevated him politically.
He noted that power was temporary, warning Wike not to allow himself to be used as an instrument of destabilisation.
George also urged First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu to reconsider the N20 billion National Library project, advising that such funds could better empower millions of youths.
He stressed that Nigeria was at a crossroads and that repeated violations of due process would further erode national cohesion.
(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)