PDP Chieftain Bode George Condemns Appeal Court Ruling as Undermining Rule of Law
A prominent elder statesman and chieftain of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has launched a sharp criticism against a recent appellate court judgment, accusing sections of the judiciary of subverting justice and the rule of law.
Bode George’s remarks followed the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold a Federal High Court ruling that nullified the PDP’s December 2024 national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State. The convention had emerged Kabiru Tanimu Turaki as national chairman. The courts barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the convention’s outcomes, citing the party’s failure to adhere to its constitutional provisions and internal guidelines during the event’s organisation.
Speaking on Thursday on “Frontline,” a public affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, George described the Abuja Appeal Court’s judgment as “absolutely disgusting and disheartening.” He called it a “disgrace to the judiciary” and a “show of shame.”
“The lady of justice, blindfolded, holds a sword and a scale to dispense justice fairly,” George stated. He questioned the legal reasoning of the judges, asking, “Did these people go to law school? What is going on in Nigeria, for God’s sake? There is no justice, fairness, or equity anymore.”
George highlighted a stark contrast between the Abuja ruling and a separate decision from the Ibadan panel of the same Court of Appeal, which had urged the PDP to resolve its internal leadership issues through reconciliation rather than judicial intervention. “The same Court of Appeal in Ibadan looked at the case and said, ‘All issues of elected managers within your party are party matters, not for courts.’ Compare that with the ruling in Abuja. It’s the same court,” he remarked.
The PDP stalwart traced the party’s prolonged crisis to “internal greed and mismanagement,” urging Nigerians, especially the youth, to learn from historical political mistakes. On party unity, he confirmed the PDP was heeding the Ibadan court’s directive for reconciliation. “A team has been set up to engage with other factions,” he said, referencing recent efforts by the PDP Board of Trustees, led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, to unite the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
George also indicated the party’s legal strategy moving forward. “We are also prepared to take the Abuja judgment to the Supreme Court if necessary,” he stated.
The conflicting appellate rulings have deepened the uncertainty within the PDP, a party struggling to regain national prominence after its 2023 electoral losses. The ultimate resolution of the leadership dispute now hinges on the Supreme Court, with significant implications for the opposition’s cohesion and strategy for the next election cycle.
