The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fired back at Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike over his sharp comments about former Deputy National Chairman High Chief Olabode George. In a stinging statement released on Saturday, the party’s spokesman, Prince Dr Christopher Odianarewo, accused Wike of trying to twist the party’s past and belittle George’s decades of service.
The backlash stems from remarks attributed to Wike through his spokesman, Lere Olayinka, on August 8, 2026, where the FCT minister reportedly claimed he had no regrets about blocking George’s bid for the party’s national chairmanship. But Lagos PDP insists that narrative is false. Odianarewo said George willingly stepped aside, not because he was forced out, but because he chose party unity over personal ambition.
“High Chief George demonstrated political maturity by stepping down his ambition when it became clear that doing so was necessary in the interest of fairness, zoning, party unity and stability,” the statement read.
The party also took aim at Wike’s repeated mentions of George, especially his account of visiting the elder statesman at his Abuja home after the party’s convention. If George was as politically irrelevant as Wike suggests, the party asked, why would the minister have gone out of his way to pay him a visit?
“Why did you need to go to his residence to appease a man you now describe as politically irrelevant and without value?” the party queried.
Odianarewo also rejected attempts to pin Lagos PDP’s electoral struggles on George. He pointed out that the party has consistently produced lawmakers and local government officials in the state since 1999, making claims of total electoral collapse after that year nothing short of propaganda.
“Leadership is bigger than a polling unit. Political history is bigger than a polling unit,” the statement added, dismissing Wike’s focus on George’s polling unit vote counts as a shallow measure of influence.
On Wike’s remarks about Deji Doherty, the PDP’s 2027 Lagos governorship candidate, the party said it would not be swayed by efforts to elevate any individual above its established structures. Those calling Doherty the “saviour” of Lagos PDP were challenged to prove their electoral muscle, with the party noting that Lagos voters can tell the difference between solid political organisation and mere television theatrics.
The party concluded with a blunt message for the minister: focus on your job in Abuja and keep your hands off Lagos politics.
“Minister Wike, Lagos PDP advises you respectfully: Face your work in Abuja and leave Lagos alone,” the statement said.
Odianarewo insisted that George does not need Wike’s approval or validation to remain relevant, and warned the minister against importing what they called a “Rivers political mentality” into the state. The parting shot was unmistakable: “Lagos no be Rivers.”
