Politics
Leave PDP, Bode George Tells Atiku, Wike
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has urged Chief Nyesom Wike and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to leave the party.
In a statement on Wednesday, Chief George said he wondered why the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the country’s former Vice President should be hobnobbing with opposition elements and still claim to be part of the PDP structure, saying: “What exactly is going on? Anybody who is tired of PDP should leave and join another party. Enough of this embarrassment. As a founding elder of this party, I will not watch while some people openly disrespect the party”.
Chief George also questioned Alhaji Abubakar’s recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, stating: “General Buhari remains my boss but he is not a member of our party. So, why is Atiku hobnobbing with him politically? Is he not guilty of anti-party offence already? The other day, President Bola Tinubu told Wike that APC must win the council election in FCT and he agreed.
“Wike has been given a direct order to win FCT for APC and he still claims to be a member of PDP. Are people now shameless politically that they cannot be principled? Where is the leadership of our party? Why are they tolerating Atiku and Wike? Why are they allowing the duo to continue to embarrass our party publicly?
“Now, some governors are joining them to endorse Tinubu’s reelection in 2027. I ask again, what exactly is going on in our party? Has discipline gone to the dogs? Has everything broken down completely? Has sanity taken flight in the way we run the party now? Nigerians are yearning for change, which only the PDP can offer because ours is the only organised party.
“Apart from Ganduje, who else do you know in APC NWC? APC is a one-man show being controlled from the Villa. This is the time for the national leadership of PDP to take decisive steps to save our great party. As a founding member of our party and an elder statesman, I call on other elders of our party to call Atiku and Wike to order, as the two are not bigger than the PDP. They cannot continue hobnobbing with enemies of our party and think I will keep quiet. The truth must be told every time without minding whose ox is gored. This is the time to save our party from those undermining PDP from within.
“If Atiku is strategising on how to form a coalition with others because of 2027, he should do that outside the structure of our party. You cannot be within and be working against the interest of this party. We will never allow that. Wike’s case is very clear to everybody. He wants to be in the good books of Tinubu while working against our party. He is an adult and knows what is good for him politically but you cannot claim to be in the PDP and be working against the interest of the party.
“Many people do not know that what Wike did in Rivers leading to emergency rule declaration of March 18 is anti-party activity. He organises live interviews across television stations as if he is the president and attacks PDP in the process. If there is any iota of shame left in him, this is the time for him to leave our party.
“His strategy is to continue to work within the party for the President’s reelection. This is the time for our party leadership to wield the big stick because nobody is more powerful than the party. The moment we remove the liabilities in our party, we will be in a formidable position as an opposition party to take over power from APC at the federal level in 2027. Due to the anti-people policies of APC, Nigerians are going through a lot and they are waiting for PDP to alleviate their suffering in 2027,”he said.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
