The lingering crisis in the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has worsened as some elders of the party have risen in defence of the party’s former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, affirming him as the party’s leader in the state.
This came after the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Abdul-Aziz Olajide Adediran, also known as Jandor, attacked Bode George, claiming he had never supported a PDP governorship candidate since 1999.
George, who backed the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, in the March 18, governorship election, had said he had no regret for his action.
The elders of the party, after a meeting held at the weekend, passed a vote of confidence on Chief Olabode George “as the undisputed leader of the PDP in Lagos.”
The elders, who signed a communique at the end of their meeting on the way forward for the party after coming a distant third in the last governorship election in the state are a former Deputy Governor, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele; a former National Secretary of the party, Dr Charles Akintoye; Retired Permanent Secretary, Dr Layi Ogunbambi; Jandor’s Campaign Director General, Dr Seye Dairo – who resigned on the eve of the election from his position – and 18 others.
The elders, in the communique, warned Jandor to desist from further denigrating leaders and elders of the party.
The communique reads in part: “We recognise the fact that as a new member of the party, Mr Adediran may not be conversant with the culture, traditions and provisions of the party’s constitution, hence we admonish him to conduct himself in conformity with the cultures and norms of the party, failure of which would leave the party with no other choice than to invoke appropriate disciplinary measures against him.”