BODE GEORGE: Democracy Is Under Siege; The PDP Will Not Be Captured Through Judicial Manipulation

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has condemned what he described as a calculated attempt to undermine Nigeria’s democracy through the misuse of state institutions and judicial processes.

George was reacting to the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld the order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the state congresses conducted by committees constituted by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

According to the elder statesman, the recent developments point to a dangerous pattern of political interference designed to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“What is unfolding before our eyes is nothing short of an assault on constitutional democracy. There appears to be a deliberate attempt to weaponise institutions of state against opposition political parties because some people are afraid of allowing Nigerians to freely choose their leaders.

“That is not democracy. That is political intimidation.”

George described Abdulrahman Mohammed, the chairman of the Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the PDP, as someone who lacks the democratic pedigree and political experience required to lead a party of the PDP’s stature.

“Let me be absolutely clear. There is nothing dishonourable about being a driver. Honest labour deserves dignity and respect.

“However, nobody becomes the National Chairman of one of Africa’s largest political parties by executive fiat or political manipulation.

“Leadership is earned through years of sacrifice, service, loyalty, commitment and democratic legitimacy.

“The issue is not that this man was once a driver. The issue is that someone with no known democratic pedigree, no recognised history of building the PDP, no record of leadership within its structures and no visible contribution to the party’s growth is suddenly being projected as National Chairman.

“Who knows him in our democratic struggle? Where was he when this party was founded in 1998? What sacrifice has he made for the PDP? Leadership cannot be manufactured overnight simply because powerful interests have decided to impose someone on a political party.

“Every discerning Nigerian can see what is happening. This is not about promoting one individual. This is about infiltrating, destabilising and ultimately destroying the PDP from within. Those behind this agenda are attempting to use one man as a vehicle to weaken the opposition.”

George argued that both the judiciary and INEC must remain faithful to the Constitution and the settled principles of Nigerian law.

“The law on this issue has been settled for decades.

“As far back as Onuoha v. Okafor (1983) 2 SCNLR 244, the Supreme Court held that the internal affairs of political parties, including the choice of candidates, are generally political questions that ought not to be determined by the courts.

“That principle was reaffirmed in Dalhatu v. Turaki (2003) 15 NWLR (Pt. 843) 310, where the Supreme Court again emphasised that internal party matters belong primarily to political parties except where the Constitution or statute expressly provides otherwise.

“The same principle was echoed in Umeh v. Ejike (2013), where the Court of Appeal, relying on settled Supreme Court authorities, reaffirmed that the internal administration of political parties is generally not justiciable except where the law expressly confers jurisdiction.

“The message from our superior courts has been consistent for over forty years: political parties must be allowed to regulate their own internal affairs within the framework of their constitutions and the law.

“INEC itself is a constitutional umpire. Its responsibility is to register political parties, monitor their activities as provided by law, and conduct free, fair and credible elections. It must never create the impression that it is determining who should lead a political party or taking sides in internal political disputes.

“Once institutions established to protect democracy begin to determine the leadership of political parties, the very foundation of constitutional democracy is placed in jeopardy.

”George warned that history has never been kind to those who abuse political power.

“I have served this country under military rule and under democracy. I know what happens when institutions lose their independence. Power is temporary. Institutions must endure.

“Those who think they can capture every institution of state and suppress the opposition should remember that governments come and go, but history remains. Every abuse of power carries within it the seed of its own destruction.

“Finally let me conclude with this solemn warning.

“At over eighty years of age, I have watched this nation through military rule, through the struggle for democracy and through successive civilian administrations. I have seen governments come and go. One lesson history has taught me is this: no government has ever grown stronger by weakening democratic institutions.

“Democracy does not belong to the APC. It does not belong to the Presidency. It belongs to the Nigerian people.

“No government has the constitutional or moral authority to determine who should lead an opposition political party or who should contest an election. That decision belongs to political parties and ultimately to the Nigerian electorate.

“The continued weaponisation of institutions against the opposition is dangerous for our national stability. A democracy without a credible opposition is no democracy at all.

“I,therefore, call on the judiciary to remain faithful to the Constitution, on INEC to discharge its constitutional responsibilities without fear or favour, and on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that every institution of government remains above partisan interests. The enduring legacy of any President is not the number of political victories he secures, but the strength of the democratic institutions he leaves behind.

“History teaches one lesson that those intoxicated by power often forget: power is transient. Every abuse of power has an expiry date. Every attempt to subvert democracy ultimately collapses under the weight of justice and truth.

“We shall continue to defend democracy through every lawful and constitutional means. We owe that duty to those who fought for this democracy, to those who paid the supreme price for it, and to generations of Nigerians yet unborn.

“No individual is greater than Nigeria. No political party is greater than the Constitution. Democracy must prevail.

“May God continue to bless and preserve the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”