Chief Bode George, former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has strongly criticized the police for barricading the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, preventing a scheduled meeting of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT).
Describing the blockade as a calculated effort to undermine internal party democracy, George condemned the disruption, which forced the BoT to shift its meeting to the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in the Central Business District.
“They’re telling us we can’t meet in our own secretariat? This is madness. What kind of democracy are we practicing? Nigerians are watching,” George stated.
He compared the police action to repressive tactics seen in authoritarian regimes “you surround our headquarters with armed police just because party elders want to hold a meeting? Is this Russia or North Korea? We won’t stand for it.”
George decried what he called an abuse of power by the security forces, especially after some officers reportedly cited “orders from above” as the reason for the blockade.
“As the Bible says, ‘The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.’ We’ve heard that phrase before. I’ve served in both military and civilian governments. Let’s be guided by the rule of law, not intimidation.”
He emphasized that silencing opposition voices or obstructing legitimate party activities is dangerous for Nigeria’s democratic future.
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