Bode George, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, has stated that the just-concluded 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting marks a “resurrection” of the party, as he called for internal healing, discipline, and unity of purpose in the interest of national progress.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Monday after the NEC meeting, where Senator Samuel Anyanwu was reaffirmed as the party’s national secretary, George described the outcome as a turning point, likening the party to a family that had rediscovered its footing after internal disputes.
“I can confidently tell you that the meeting for today is a resurrection of the party,” he said.
“Now, we have our rules, we have the laws, we have the ground norm of the party. Those who cannot abide by the ground norm, in other words, our constitution, we show them the way.”
George admitted that the party had made critical errors in the past, particularly during its last national convention, but said it had learned valuable lessons.
“We messed up the last convention, and that led us to where we are today. We’ve learned a lesson. From tomorrow is a new beginning for the party,” he said.
On the reappointment of Senator Anyanwu, George emphasised the need for compromise and emotional maturity in political leadership.
“Let me tell you, in a political organisation, you can’t win it all the time. You win some, you lose some. The beauty of it… it’s like a family,” he explained.
“If you have a quarrel, because not everybody will agree with daddy or mommy, you will have differences. But you must never be disagreeable and you should not carry your problems to the marketplace for discussion.”
While stressing the importance of collective decision-making, he issued a word of caution to Anyanwu and others returning to office, saying “Because Anyanwu has been out, he also must moderate his activities, not to come back and say, ‘I’m going to deal with this or deal with that.’ That is not the essence.”
George dismissed speculation that the PDP was in terminal decline, recalling doubts expressed by some party elders in Lagos before the NEC meeting.
“Some of the elders were saying, ‘Sir, what are you going to do? The PDP is finished.’ I looked at them and said, ‘Do you go to your family house and tell them the family is finished?’” he recounted.
“If you have a problem and you are really deep, you know it’s not only money. It’s intellect, it’s character.”
He underscored that the PDP belongs to no individual, calling it “the Iroko political party”—strong, rooted, and accountable to its structures rather than any single person.
“We are not going to do our own by NEC to appoint a new chairman. We go to the national convention. That’s the difference between the Iroko political party and the APC,” he added.
With the next NEC meeting scheduled for July to finalise plans for the party’s national convention, party leaders are hopeful that Monday’s consensus will herald a new era of stability and public trust.
“We will convince the people. We will talk to the people,” George affirmed.
Chioma Kalu
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