Former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode George, talks to EMMANUEL OJO about the party’s chances at the
Presidential Election Petition Court and why the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, should not be sworn in on May 29
You recently stated that you refused to visit the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, because your party is in court to challenge his victory. Was that the only reason why you made that decision?
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.
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.
What if the court is not able to give judgment before May 29?
That is a monumental crisis if we don’t meet it. As they are saying that we must inaugurate, look at the temperature of the country right now from the North to the South. It’s graveyard silence. Where is the jubilation? What is that hurry? Whoever becomes the President will spend the next four years in office, so a few more days to allow justice to be dispensed is not too much.
Are you saying that with adequate prayers, Tinubu can lead this nation right despite your opposition to his presidential ambition?
Talking about Tinubu, I’m not in that swing. Whosoever emerges as the President (after the petition tribunal), we should pray for that person because it’s not easy sitting down there (as the President). I have worked in that (Aso Villa) place. I retired as a military officer from the Villa. I also worked as a civilian in that place, so I know what it entails. Whoever is there needs prayers.
We will be full of prayers but let me say something in my language that I don’t know how to translate into English. O wa l’omode, óò f’akoyo, o wa ni giripa, óò d’abira, o gbo gbo nkan bi, o wan s’eju npako npako bi ako oka, se igba yi laro l’arugbo nsuku omo. That’s my answer to you. They need prayers. What I quoted for you in Yoruba is deep-rooted.
You recently stated that you refused to visit the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, because your party is in court to challenge his victory. Was that the only reason why you made that decision?
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.
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.
What if the court is not able to give judgment before May 29?
That is a monumental crisis if we don’t meet it. As they are saying that we must inaugurate, look at the temperature of the country right now from the North to the South. It’s graveyard silence. Where is the jubilation? What is that hurry? Whoever becomes the President will spend the next four years in office, so a few more days to allow justice to be dispensed is not too much.
Are you saying that with adequate prayers, Tinubu can lead this nation right despite your opposition to his presidential ambition?
Talking about Tinubu, I’m not in that swing. Whosoever emerges as the President (after the petition tribunal), we should pray for that person because it’s not easy sitting down there (as the President). I have worked in that (Aso Villa) place. I retired as a military officer from the Villa. I also worked as a civilian in that place, so I know what it entails. Whoever is there needs prayers.
We will be full of prayers but let me say something in my language that I don’t know how to translate into English. O wa l’omode, óò f’akoyo, o wa ni giripa, óò d’abira, o gbo gbo nkan bi, o wan s’eju npako npako bi ako oka, se igba yi laro l’arugbo nsuku omo. That’s my answer to you. They need prayers. What I quoted for you in Yoruba is deep-rooted.
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