Bode George Slams Police Over PDP Meeting Disruption: “This Isn’t North Korea or Russia”
Bode George, a well-known PDP leader, has denounced the securing of the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja by security personnel, calling it a perilous step toward authoritarianism.
After armed policemen prevented him and other top members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) from entering Wadata Plaza, the PDP headquarters, George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, reportedly spoke to reporters on Monday.
George was clearly furious and warned the Federal Government not to lead the country down a similar path, claiming the action was reminiscent of Nigeria’s political turmoil in the early 1960s.
“It’s remarkably annoying,” he said. This is our land. Was there a court order stating that we couldn’t use our office for our meeting? What is happening? In 1962, when it all began in the South West, I was a young man. The lunacy must be avoided. Can you tell me what it is? Can’t we sit and converse? What does democracy stand for?
He criticized the government for trying to suppress free speech and questioned why heavily armed police were employed to break up a peaceful party gathering.
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“The Nigerians are observing,” George added. Because we wanted to meet, you came to our office and surrounded it with cops. Do you want this country to become Russia or us to become North Korea? We’re not going to let it. The Nigerian people will not permit it.
Although he refused to disclose the new location, citing security concerns, he pledged that the meeting would still take place.
Party leaders, including members of the Board of Directors, who had gathered for the important NEC meeting, were reportedly prevented from entering Wadata Plaza by security personnel who had taken control of the building earlier in the day.
