By CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, Deputy Political Editor

It is no longer news that the former national chairman  of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  Chief Olabode George is not a jailbird anymore. What is news, perhaps, is the new Bode George that the polity will witness after he spent two years behind bars.

With former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a pillar, a flamboyant George reigned like a colossus in PDP at the national, South-West zonal and Lagos levels. He practically called the shots in Lagos and the other five states of the South-West as far as PDP was concerned and, before long, he became a godfather of an immeasurable status.

Any PDP aspirant or candidate who did not get his support, endorsement or anointment was almost certain of tasting the bitter pill of electoral defeat in the South-West.

Bode George supporters at Kirikiri

Arguably, he was the face of PDP in the zone. He was that strong until the bubble burst for him in August 2008 when he was said to have ‘offended’ Baba, who did not lift a finger to save him as the long arm of the law grabbed him. His political battle for the control of Lagos with the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed-led Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, only helped to seal his fate.

Ready to hit ground and start running

How time flies, the two-year confinement is over. Bode George regained his freedom in style yesterday. The carnival-like reception he was treated to by his supporters indicate an emboldened, more experienced Lagos Boy is set to be on the loose, politically, once again. And the Lagos political firmament, his immediate constituency,  is expected to be charged and electrified.

Although, he still wielded ‘power and control’ in PDP even from the prison, he is said to be ready to hit the ground immediately and start running to cover up for ‘lost time.’

Tasks and questions  before George

Indeed, Bode George has a lot of tasks before him and many questions to answer as well. In his absence, the Lagos  PDP lacked an arrowhead to lead it in the electoral battle against arch-foe, ACN. Is he ready to assume the position of arrowhead once again? He once complained that he was abandoned by party stalwarts and some supporters while in prison. Is he ready to forgive them and carry all along in a united PDP into the April polls? Some sections of the party in Lagos were not happy with his handling of PDP in the past, especially during the 2007 elections.

Is he ready to stoop to conquer by reaching out to them? Or will he allow old wounds to be re-opened to the detriment of the party? He must have learnt an invaluable lesson in prison.

Will he rise from grass to grace like Obasanjo, Senator Iyiola Omisore and Governor Theodore Orji, who won political power shortly after leaving prison (Obasanjo) and directly from prison (Omisore and Orji)?  How far is he ready to go to get Obasanjo on his side once again? How fast can his PR team move and get him derobed of the uncomplimentary cloak of an ex-convict? Questions! And more questions!!

Party leaders, supporters offer ladder

Although he cannot hold political office for a long time, his supporters and party leaders are ready to clear the path so that he can resume his pivotal position as an elder and king-maker of sorts in PDP.

Unless he decides otherwise, George, sources said, would spearhead PDP’s campaigns in Lagos and give it the bite it currently lacks and thereby give the ruling ACN a run for its money at the polls.

“I guess the trend of campaigns will change now in the state and, maybe, beyond. You know he is a veteran in this game and, whether by design or not, he has conserved sufficient energy to confront the ruling party in the state,” one of the sources said.

Lagos State Secretary of PDP, Captain Tunji Shelle, said George, while in prison, continued to play his role in the party and remained a key player in the party.

With George’s freedom, he averred that the PDP would get its acts together and be one happy family that was ready to wrestle power from the ACN in Lagos.

Shelle said: “We have missed him (George) in so many ways. He has been a pillar in the party, and he has been a mentor, a motivator of many people within the party. Missing him is an understatement. His absence, though, has affected the party emotionally and in some other ways,  he is happy and he has capable lieutenants to carry on the activities of the party while he was away. I am sure he would be happy with what we are doing so far.

“I want to inform you that PDP has not won bye-election before, but with the wealth of experiences he (George) shared with some of us, with his tremendous power of organisation, we have been able to achieve something tangible.”

Shelle said he was happy that the politician has regained his freedom. “I thank God for his life, because he was so many things for so many people, especially in the South-West and beyond. He has lots of goodwill. It is part of his goodwill that has kept us going. I am sure those who have been shying from expressing that goodwill will now come out to support the party. His coming back will translate the party’s chances to better fortune.”