A former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olabode George, has said that members were free to defect to other parties, vowing that he will never join the bandwagon of those leaving.

Mr George said this at a news conference on Thursday while reacting to the gale of defections from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in some states.

“Let them (defectors) go anywhere. They will see the difference, and as usual, some of them will come back. We wish them the best of luck,” Mr George said.

“Those who want to leave PDP can go. Those of us who remain will continue to speak, talk, and stand for the well-being of the people of Nigeria, who are going through a lot at the moment.”

Mr George’s remarks come a day after Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri announced his resignation from the PDP. Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State had also defected from the party to the ruling APC on Tuesday.

According to Mr George, the former ruling party remains the best solution to the problems facing the people, as it is committed to the country’s unity, inclusion, prosperity, growth, and development.

“Our commitment is to the people of Nigeria. I am an irredentist PDP man. PDP is still the best solution to the problems of this country,” he stated.

The PDP leader said the party would hold its national convention on November 15 and 16 in Ibadan to return the party to its former glory.

“Those who want to go are looking for crumbs, and many of them will come back,” he added.

He said the party’s focus remained on the people of Nigeria, not on a few leaders who had shown no regard for principle and ideology.

Mr George advised Joash Amupitan, the newly appointed chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to carry out his statutory duties conscientiously, knowing that “there would always be a history.”

“No manipulation should be tolerated. No glitches and cheating. Let the will of the people prevail in all elections,” he said.

On the current Nigerian Constitution, Mr George said the grundnorm had a lot of defects, hence its incapacity to take the country to the dream of its founding fathers.

“It is not working; it is military in nature. It is unfair to all sections of the country,” he said.

(NAN)