The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday vowed to entrench discipline in the party while berating its 2019 governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje over his attack on Chief Chief Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party.
Chairman of the party, Dr. Adegbola Dominic alongside an aide to Chief George, Prince Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu, spoke at a press conference with the chairman hinting that the party would set up a disciplinary committee against erring members.
The Chairman expressed shock over the statement credited to Agbaje whom he said ran the 2019 governorship election “unwilling” to win.
Agbaje had on Wednesday issued a statement accusing Chief George of being behind speculations of his exit and stating the speculations could have only emanated from people of “sick mind”.
He also asked Chief George to quit if he was not adding value to the PDP in Lagos.
But the PDP Chairman said Agbaje did not portray himself as a thoroughbred Yoruba man by his attack on Chief George.
He recalled that Agbaje won the ticket of the party against the wishes of many party leaders yet he was supported by all and sundry including George.
The Chairman however said Agbaje “obviously” didn’t want to win the election.
He said: “We invited him to let us run the campaign, he was dodging. As the Chairman, he didn’t invite me for any campaign rally. He was doing a Town Hall meeting which was not even well attended.
“We invited him and advised him on how to run the campaign but he shunned the party leaders. It was obvious he didn’t come to win. During the Presidential election, people voted massively for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (the party’s Presidential candidate) but when it comes to governorship election, we lost woefully”.
He said attacking George whom he described as “a leader well respected within and outside Lagos” was shocking, saying without the PDP leader, Agbaje would not have gotten the PDP ticket.
“Many of us did not support him because we knew the kind of character he is. Immediately after the 2015 election, he disappeared and came back in 2019. We still supported him but he obviously didn’t want to win”, he added.
Prince Shodipe-Dosunmu, who is the Special Adviser Political to Chief George, said the statement attributed to Agbaje was “disgusting”.
He said, “When you refer to an elder, your greatest benefactor in PDP as somebody of sick mind is tragic, unacceptable, unbecoming of somebody brought up in the Yoruba tradition.
“Chief Bode George brought this man in 2015. He gave him all the necessary support for a stranger to get the PDP ticket. He supported him in terms of structure and financial support. He did this without expecting zero from him”.
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