Finally, Bode George ‘Drops Enmity’ With Tinubu, Reveals Next Move

Former Military Governor of Ondo State and Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has dropped his differences with President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and promised to pray for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate should the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal affirm he won the February 25th presidential election.

George spoke extensively during an interview yesterday about his position on the May 29 swearing-in of Tinubu as Nigeria’s next president and other issues of great importance ahead of the new governance.

When asked to speak further on why he had refused to visit Tinubu, and if his decision was because his party, the PDP is in court to challenge the APC candidate’s victory, George said: “Well, what will my visit add or subtract from him? If my party is in court with him, contesting the result of the last presidential election, and I am a life member of the board of trustees of the party and one man representing the whole of the South-West in the national caucus of the party, what other level of respect and regard could they (the PDP) have given me? If the court decides that he (Tinubu) is the winner, we will still do a post-mortem analysis and at that time, we will pray for Nigeria that God will lead this country right. I remember when President Muhammadu Buhari was coming. There were certain definitive statements that he made, that he would fight corruption, among many other things and we were all praying for him.”

According to him, once anybody emerges, “All we can do is call the grace of the Almighty to take control of this country to be peaceful. Forget about the individual. Our political differences are as different as day and night, so, what will I say I am going to do (by meeting Tinubu)? To look for (a political) position or what? All we will do is wish them well, that the Almighty God will bring peace to Nigeria using them, but the experience we had here in Lagos is that my state is in dire need of leadership. Nigeria is in dire need of leadership, no doubt about that. We are drifting like a ship at sea, with hurricane storms increasing; so, we need a lot of prayers. After praying, if I’m not satisfied, I have the option of getting out. I’m almost 80 years old. What else am I looking for? I want to spend the rest of my life in peace, not with these character-ravaging guys on the streets; the ‘agberos’ (louts). They left them on the street when they could have organised skills acquisition programmes for them to acquire skills. We have a big issue ahead of us in this country.”

On the chances of his party and candidate, Atiku Abubakar, winning the case in court, George said: “Yes, that’s why we are there. We have made presentations to the court and all the other political parties have also tendered their reports there. I am hopeful that the judiciary will remember their oath of office and that lady of justice, the stature you find in all law courts that is blindfolded with a sword and a scale, saying that she will dispense justice irrespective of colour, name, or race, will dispense justice based on the fact before it. So, we are praying for it.”