Lagos PDP group threatens to sue Pearse over allegations against George

A group within the Lagos chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lagos PDP Democrat, has called on Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, a chairmanship aspirant in the aborted state congress on Saturday, to withdraw the publication that former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George is the one that orchestrated the crisis that led to the disruptions of the exercise.

The group threatens to sue Pearse for failure to withdraw the publication in 14 days.

But Pearse in a telephone conversation with The Guardian debunked making such publication against George. “I only said when the delegates saw the Unity list they were rattled because the names on the list were strange to them and when I tried to engage the secretary of the congress, Senator Abiodun Olujimi there was a gunshot.”

In a statement yesterday, Chairman of the Lagos PDP Democrat, Olatunde Johnson said the group’s attention has been drawn to a publication wherein one of the chairmanship aspirants, Dr Tokunbo Pearse in the botched congress of Saturday, October 16 2021 attributed the disruption of the exercise to Chief George.

Lagos PDP Democrat claimed that in the publication, Pearse said that the disruption was immediately after Chief George, approached Senator Abiodun Olujimi, who was at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) distributing the ballot papers to delegates.

The group described Pearse’s claim as rather cruel and untidy and a total falsehood and character assassination.

It stated: “It is on record that the person that fired the gunshot that led to the disruption of the congress has been apprehended by the police and he is currently at Police Station Panti.

“On behalf of Lagos State PDP Democrats, we hereby call on Pearse to withdraw his statement and apologise to Chief George within 14 days, otherwise he will be sued for defamation of character.

“Chief George has been a unifying leader and a proud stakeholder in the PDP for the past 23 years. He has always preached for peace and harmony in the party. He has vowed to continue to encourage unity without rancor at all levels of our party. He will never condone violence or any form of unconstitutional procedure. Character assassination and reckless defamation of character is destructive and unnecessary. We should build rather than destroy.”

Pearse said he is ready for George both in the court and in the election whenever it is rescheduled the era has gone when individual dictates who becomes what in Lagos PDP.

Olujimi had said “bad losers” disrupted the elective congress.

She, however, said it became “clear that some people don’t want this process to go on” after noticing that defeat was staring them in the face.”