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A leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has traced the lingering crisis within the party to what he described as greed, avarice and a growing contempt for the fundamental principles that once guided the opposition party.
During an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Frontline program on Thursday, the elder statesman reflected at length on the origins of the internal conflict rocking the party, insisting that the division emerged not from ideological differences but from the actions of individuals who ignored the rules established by the party’s founding fathers.
George’s comments come amid deepening divisions within the People’s Democratic Party following the fallout from the 2023 general election, which has triggered intense leadership disputes, disagreements over zoning and battles for control over party structures in several states. The crisis has weakened the opposition party and led to a wave of defections by governors, lawmakers and senior members, with several state leaders defecting to the All Progressives Congress and other ruling parties in the past year. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, for example, defected to the APC in December 2025 along with legislators loyal to him, while other governors of several states also defected to the PDP due to the internal rift.
The infighting has been further aggravated by a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria which canceled the November 15-16, 2025 PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State. The appeal court upheld an earlier Federal High Court decision preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognizing the outcome of the convention after finding that the party had failed to comply with constitutional and electoral procedures, including holding conventions in several states before the convention.
George said the PDP was deliberately structured to ensure national balance and stability in Nigeria’s political system, particularly through its zoning arrangement which allowed different regions of the country to take turns in occupying the presidency and other key positions.
According to him, the collapse of this agreement began when some individuals preferred personal ambition to the collective interest of the party.
“I don’t want to go into the details of how this nonsense started. It started because of avarice, greed, lack of respect for the established authorities. The guidelines established by the founding fathers of our party were totally disconnected and now they were saying, ‘Oh, it has to be me, it has to be this.’ Who are you? Let the will of the people prevail.”
Zoning principle designed to stabilize Nigeria
George explained that the PDP’s zoning formula was designed to ensure equity among Nigeria’s different ethnic and regional groups, stressing that the agreement helped stabilize the country’s political structure after years of instability.
He recalled that the idea was developed by senior political leaders who sought to prevent future crises that could threaten Nigeria’s democracy.
“The PDP created a concept of functioning in this country where we decided that every Nigerian, whether a majority or minority tribe, is acceptable and responsible and should benefit from the gifts God has given them in their local area. The founding fathers divided Nigeria into six geopolitical zones and created this concept of zoning where one zone holds the presidency for eight years and rotates to another zone.”
George said the agreement ensures that every part of the country can feel a sense of ownership in the political system.
“Do zonal rotation to ensure that not only will you be a participant, but that one day you can come and meet your people and say you can be president. What can be better? What other political party does the same in this country? Nobody.”
Greed disrupted the stability of the party
The PDP leader lamented that the system began to collapse when individuals placed personal ambition above party discipline.
According to him, the current turmoil within the party can be traced back to the time when a member insisted on contesting a position against the established zoning.
“How could we lose this? The main point is human greed. Some guy came out and said, ‘I don’t care whatever it is, I’m going to compete.’ All the manipulation they created followed from there. I was at the convention and I said, ‘What’s going on here?'”
He added that the development would deeply disappoint the party’s founding leaders who designed the framework to maintain balance and unity.
“Those old dead trembled violently in their graves. That’s when we turned the logic of our party on its head, and that’s the result we see today.”
PDP built to unite Nigerians
George further insisted that the PDP remains the only political party in Nigeria structured to reflect the country’s diversity without ethnic bias.
He argued that the party’s internal structure needed to accommodate every Nigerian regardless of ethnic origin.
“The PDP is the only political party in this country that cannot be associated with any tribalism. The idea was that whether you are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo or belong to any minority tribe, you will have an opportunity if you are bright enough and have contributed massively to the country.”
He stressed that the system recognizes that individuals do not choose their ethnic origin at birth, and therefore political opportunities should not be limited by tribe.
“The day you were born, when you were coming, did you ask Almighty God whether you wanted to be Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo? You simply came in His image. Should your tribe degrade you or lower your standard so that you cannot be chief of something?”
The founding fathers sought to prevent national instability
George also recalled that the zoning agreement emerged from deliberations among high-level political figures after the military era, when concerns about national unity were high.
He said the initiative was led by respected statesmen determined to prevent another collapse of Nigeria’s democratic order.
“Led by Pope Alex Ekwueme and the G-14, they sat down and said, ‘Look, when the military gives way, how do we move forward to prevent another military incursion into our system?’ That’s how the idea was born.”
He argued that the agreement played a critical role in stabilizing Nigeria’s political environment.
“Since that time, have you seen any move by the military to return due to dissatisfaction or dismemberment of the nation? Nowhere. That concept has stabilized this country.”
“Either we follow the rules or we leave”
George said some members of the party are now determined to uphold the principles established by the founding leaders of the PDP.
He warned that abandoning these values would undermine not only the party but Nigeria’s broader democratic system.
“It is the egocentrism, the greed, the avarice of human beings that has driven us to this end. Some of us have decided that never again. Either we do what was established by the founding fathers or I return to my home.”
The PDP has faced persistent internal disputes in recent years, including disagreements over leadership and factional divisions that have triggered defections by several high-ranking members.
Despite the challenges, George insisted that restoring respect for the party’s founding principles remains the only path to unity and stability within the opposition party.
