Nigeria Content Online

The influence of the former chairman of
the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Bode George, on the Lagos State
chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, became apparent yesterday
when the just elected governorship candidate of the party, Adegboyega
Dosumu, paid him a visit at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison.

Mr George is serving a jail term for financial misdeeds during his tenure at the NPA.

When NEXT called at Mr Dosumu’s office on Tuesday afternoon, supporters at the office said he went to visit Mr George.

“He (Dosumu) went to greet Bode George.
Everybody here is also waiting to see him,” said one of the supporters,
who did not disclose his name.

Mr Dosumu’s emergence as the party’s
flag bearer is barely 12 hours before making the said visit. Some of
his opponents said his victory at the party’s primaries owes a large
part to the support from Mr George’s supporters in the party.

Meanwhile, members of the PDP in Lagos
were yesterday shocked by the sudden death of the party’s national
youth leader and a former aide of Mr George, Muyiwa Collins. Supporters
of the party, who are still basking in the happiness of a successful
and peaceful gubernatorial congress, became subdued as news of Mr
Collins’ death broke.

The deceased, a former journalist and
former publicity secretary of the Lagos State chapter of the party, was
said to have died after being rushed to hospital, probably owing to the
relapse of the heart condition he was said to have overcome.

NEXT learnt that Mr Collins had already
dressed up to catch a flight to Abuja to participate in the national
convention of the party when he suddenly slumped and was rushed to the
hospital where he died. Mr Collins turned 49 last December. The
Secretary of the Lagos State PDP, Tunji Selle said the death was
shocking and came at a wrong time.

“The party will miss him. This is not
the time to lose a valuable member of the National Working Committee
who has always given the best of his ability for the party,” he said.