By Muhammad Mamman
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has accused Deputy National Secretary Setonji Koshoedo of attempting to manipulate the forthcoming ward and local government congresses in Lagos State.
In an open letter addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) on Friday, George alleged that Koshoedo had unilaterally taken charge of distributing congress forms with the aim of hijacking the process.
George, a long-standing PDP stalwart in Lagos, warned that such actions could spark acrimony, trigger public unrest, and plunge the party into avoidable legal battles.
“It is worrisome that Koshoedo, who has not been actively involved in the activities of the party in the state, either financially or otherwise, collected the forms and decided to single-handedly determine their distribution,” George wrote.
He argued that the move undermined efforts by party leaders to foster consensus among members across local governments — a process he said was already yielding results. He further questioned why the input of Lagos PDP leaders, including two life members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), was sidelined.
George described the development as “unacceptable, insulting, unjust, and unfair,” stressing that his intervention was to forestall a political crisis ahead of the congresses.
He also linked the PDP’s dismal performance in the 2023 general elections to “self-aggrandisement, greed, and selfish ambitions” of individuals working against the party’s collective interest.
The Lagos PDP, he noted, was ready to purchase the forms provided they were distributed transparently and fairly.
The PDP has scheduled its national convention for 15–16 November in Ibadan, Oyo State. Ahead of the event, congresses will be held to elect officers at ward, local government, and state levels.
