By Luminous Jannamike
A fresh crisis has broken out in the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as party leader, Chief Bode George, declared the Deputy National Secretary, Hon. Setonji Koshoedo, persona non grata over the handling of ward and local government congresses.
In an open letter written on Friday to the PDP National Chairman and members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party and leader of the PDP in Lagos, expressed concern that Koshoedo unilaterally handled the distribution of congress nomination forms without consulting state leaders.
According to the letter, the development has “brought about acrimony and a situation that may lead to mayhem, disturbance of public peace and court actions.”
George questioned why the Deputy National Secretary did not engage party elders, including life members of the Board of Trustees, who had been working to build consensus among stakeholders.
“Does Koshoedo’s position as a member of the NWC give him the right to appoint leaders at his whims and caprices in Lagos?” the letter queried.
The Lagos PDP leader also raised concerns that some of the nomination forms were allegedly distributed to individuals no longer active in the party.
“The party is just coming out of a period laden with crisis and all loyal members of the Party must resist any attempt to draw us back,” he said.
The statement recalled that the PDP recorded a poor performance in Lagos during the 2023 elections, which party leaders believe was partly due to divisions within the state chapter.
“We are firing this early warning shot to Hon. Koshoedo to prevent actions that will lead to political upheaval in the State. We are forced to declare him a political persona non grata in the State due to his actions,” George said.
He further noted that the Deputy National Secretary’s role at the national level “does not make him the leader of the Party in Lagos and he should be made to realise that.”
The letter appealed to the PDP National Working Committee to step in and ensure a fair and transparent process for the congresses, stressing that Lagos members were ready to pay for nomination forms as long as they were distributed openly and equitably.
“The old era of manipulations and deceits has ended. Members of the public are watching the party and our actions should always be above board,” George added.
The letter called on the national leadership to prevent actions that could further weaken the party in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest voting state.
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