By Ihechi Enyinnaya
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has accused President Bola Tinubu of “dangerous silence” over the recent crisis rocking the opposition party, warning that his inaction could push Nigeria toward political instability.
He said this during a Press conference held on Tuesday at the PDP Secretariat in Lagos. In a strongly worded statement titled “State of the Nation – Dear Mr. President, Our Nation Is Wobbling Politically,” George said democracy was under threat, claiming that actions by those close to the government were “undermining our Republic.”
“It is troubling that, in the face of all this, the President — the custodian of our democracy — has remained silent,” he wrote. “Silence at such a moment can only be interpreted as tacit approval.”
George described the November 18 disruption at the PDP Secretariat as “an unacceptable assault on democratic order,” warning that the episode represented “a broader pattern that threatens the future of multi-party democracy in Nigeria.”
According to him, a group “previously expelled for anti-party activities — reportedly encouraged by a serving Federal Minister — attempted to prevent a duly-elected leadership from assuming office.” He condemned what he termed “the forced entry into the PDP National Secretariat,” declaring that the act “crossed every line of decency and legality.”
He stressed that Nigeria had “moved beyond the era where sheer force overrides order,” questioning: “Who authorised the police to take over the headquarters? Under what authority? Since when does a tenant overtake a landlord?”
George likened the present situation to events that destabilized Nigeria in the First Republic, warning that ignoring political infractions can invite national catastrophe.
“Our nation’s history between 1962 and 1966 teaches us that seemingly small political infractions, when ignored, can snowball into national disasters,” he cautioned.
“The Prime Minister was asked what he was doing about the crisis in the Western Region and he said as far as he was concerned, there was no crisis. Painfully, in 1966, the Prime Minister and the First Republic became history.”
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to “destroy PDP, the only true national party in Nigeria,” adding that insecurity across the country was worsening while leaders were “preoccupied with political positioning ahead of 2027.”
George also questioned the role of the judiciary, asking why “PDP-related cases [are] consistently channeled to the same few judges within the Abuja Division.”
He issued a direct message to Minister Nyesom Wike, whom he described as “a major beneficiary of the PDP,” saying:
“It is painful to watch you take actions capable of damaging the very institution that supported you. Power is temporary; reputation is permanent.”
George warned that Nigeria was “precariously and dangerously staggering on the path of self-destruction,” urging Tinubu to act.
“Repeated violations of due process and unchecked abuses of power undermine public confidence and threaten national cohesion,” he wrote.
“For the sake of our democracy, our history, and our children, the time to act responsibly is now. Nigeria cannot afford another avoidable political collapse.”