Bode George: PDP raises legal team

Saka Gbeminiyi, Lagos - 01.11.2009

APPARENTLY disturbed by catalogue of unfavourable court judgments being delivered against the party in various courts across the country in recent times, the National Secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is set to inaugurate a legal team to review some of the judgments.

A chieftain of the party who sought anonymity stated this in Lagos when some big wigs in the party visited the embattled former Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Chief Olabode George who was jailed for corrupt practices while he was the chairman of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The party chieftains from the national headquarters who were on solidarity visit to Chief Bode George at Kirikiri maximum prisons had lamented that the party felt that the judiciary was against it going by some questionable judgments against the party and its chieftains in recent times.

The party man said that the party and some of its candidates in 2007 general elections have lost their positions in national and state assemblies due to some of the controversial judgments, especially in the South West zone.

“You see, we don’t want to believe that the judiciary is up against us. Some of the judgments were controversial. Imagine a situation where a judgment was given and the judges said they would give reasons for their position later.

“The committee would advise the party on the way forward. We need to ascertain whether the problem is from our legal teams or something else”, he said.

Meanwhile, Sunday Tribune learnt that Chief Olabode George is gradually adapting to prison life. A prison official who spoke to Sunday Tribune blamed the press for showing undue interest in Chief Bode George’s case.

“I don’t know why you people are having special interest in Chief Bode George. He is not the first politician to be with us. We have over 500 inmates so I don’t know why you are disturbing us about him.

“All I know is that the Chief has been adapting to the new lifestyle in the prison. He is well behaved and takes instructions from warders. We don’t have problem with him,” the prison official said.

On the large number of people visiting him, the prison official said, “There are rules and regulations guiding our operations here. Visitors must apply and the application must be approved. So, there is no complaint whatsoever.”