By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor & Dirisu Yakubu

Chief Bode George has said that his bid to become national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is not a death or life matter for him even as he, yesterday, affirmed that getting the right person for the office is a death and life matter for the party.

Bode George

This came as former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd),   has thrown his weight behind the former governor of Ogun State,  Otunba   Gbenga Daniel, in his bid to become the National Chairman of the PDP describing him as a “breath of fresh air.”

In an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos yesterday, George said the Supreme Court judgment that legitimised the Ahmed Makarfi leadership of the party was a second chance for the party to get its acts right after the recent crisis gave the party a bloody nose.

George, who was flanked by a number of party chieftains including Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe also played down the reported opposition to his bid by his erstwhile political protégée, Jimi Agbaje.

“As a party, we are at the crossroad, and if we turn the wrong way, we may not make it. God is a God of second chance. He has given us a second chance. It is a matter of life and death for the party. We must sit down and decide on who will manage the party to give a constructive and people oriented criticisms to the government in power.

“For me, it is not a matter of death and life,” George, a former deputy national chairman of the party said.

“We have short time, between our election and the next sets of elections in 2019.  It has nothing to do with emotions and tribal sentiments. We have to get it dead right. We need a person who can weather the storm and face the battle ahead. To extract the seed inside palm kernel is not a joke, because when you apply the harmer, you have to watch your fingers. It is a major decision, not only for our party but for the country.

“We need someone with a track record, someone who has been through the storm. We must avoid the pitfalls of the past. This is not the time for experimentation. Within the South-west, we have Ondo / Ekiti, one zone, Lagos/Ogun, one zone, Osun / Oyo, another zone. The current National Vice chairman of the party is from Ondo/Ekiti. It was zoned there because Lagos/Ogun, Osun/Oyo, have all served their terms in the past. So now, it is turn of Ogun/Lagos again.”

IBB endorses Daniel

Meanwhile, Babangida endorsed Daniel at his Hilltop residence in Minna, the Niger State Capital, yesterday,  when the former governor accompanied by a delegation paid him a visit as part of his ongoing consultations amongst critical stakeholders.

Speaking during the visit, Daniel said he had come to notify the self-styled military President of his ambition.