BY KAZEEM BISIRIYU
Immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has said that former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, must be sent to political retirement if the party must make progress in Lagos State.
His Media Aide, Lere Olayinka, said in a statement on Wednesday, that Fayose, who spoke during the inauguration of the PDP Campaign Committee for the Lagos East senatorial bye-election on Tuesday, emphasized that Chief Bode George should rather be a support stand for the younger ones in the party instead of dragging positions with them.
While urging support for the PDP candidate in the senatorial bye-election, Babatunde Olalere Gbadamosi (BOG), Fayose said; “Lagos is ripe for PDP to take and we will take the State if will work hard and put our house in order.
“This senate election is for PDP to take if we are ready to take it.
You have done it before by producing House of Reps members and you can do it again by producing a senator.”
He however said that “before PDP can win any election in this Lagos, the party must first separate wheat from chaffs.
The former governor, who urged leaders of the party in Lagos State to desist from exposing rancour among the party members, laid emphasis on giving the younger ones in the party opportunity to grow and allow them to be in key positions in the party.
According to Fayose, “it is high time to tell Bode George to go and retire. Let him be a support stand for the younger ones in the party.
“As I am here, I am about 60 years of age, I have grown above fighting for minister that it will get to a point and someone will say he is sacking me. I will never be such minister not to talk of contesting any post with younger ones in the party.
“It is time for young people in the party to tell elderly ones to take the back seat. I’m not against the elders, but I want them to know when to take the back seat. If they don’t, the young ones will force them. All those stories of we formed this party in 1998, eight of us sat in my sitting room to form the party is no longer important because the young too must be allowed to grow.
“At this level, if you see any elder contesting chairman with the younger ones, you must know that such fellow needs to be retired.
“I am Ayodele Fayose, you can quote me anywhere. I said, you must retire Bode George if you want progress in the PDP in Lagos. You must stand firm and fight for your right.
“As an elder, he is supposed to stay at home and be giving blessing to his children aspiring to grow not to be contending positions with them,” Fayose said.