Why I Won’t Congratulate Tinubu – Bode George

Former Deputy National Chairman (South-West) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has explained why he will not congratulate the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on his victory at the February 25 election.

George said this during an interview with Arise TV, adding that he bears no grudges against the former Lagos governor.

This comes as the Tinubu’s camp paid a visit to the PDP chieftain on Saturday.

Recall that a delegation led by Prince Tajudeen Olusi, the Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), met with George in Lagos.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, also met the elder statesman.

But the PDP chieftain said Tinubu can never control him, adding that he only disagrees with his “methodologies of governance, his own ways of managing the resources of the land for the benefit of the people.

“For now, I don’t agree with going to say congratulations. I will never. Bode George will never do that.

“It’s not impacting on the people. I’m a thoroughbred Lagosian. I was born and grew up here, there is so much degradation. Go to my local government,” George said.

“First of all, Femi Gbajabiamila had been here, we had discussions. I told him all the things I would want them to do in Lagos.

“What matters to me is let Lagos be like the best city in the world, make life more meaningful, impact on the minds of the people positively because the power rests with the people.

“But if there is nothing, the method of management, the financial management will be completely despicable.

“So, I said to them I have no objections and as far as I’m concerned there is nothing personal, sir. Whatever he had done to me in the past, as a Christian, vengeance is not mine.

“So, for me, the last option, the last request was that we should, whether the court has finished or the court has not finished or the processes is over — I should join the others to go and congratulate Bola Tinubu like our group, Wike and Seyi had done.

“I said I’m not Seyi and I’m not Wike. I’m much older than them, that’s their opinion. For me, if peradventure, at the end of the analysis, our party is looking forward to winning at the court; if I jump ship, how would I look like? Like a swine, like a traitor?

“I was born into a political family in this Lagos and respect what is right, what is just, what is fair, those are the ways of my upbringing. Nothing personal.

“If they say he has won and I said that it is for me to decide whether I would live under the control of this and he cannot individually control me, I won’t break the laws.

“And what we want is the rule of law. What is democracy? The government of the people, the rule of law and when you go to every court in this country, you’ll find the lady of justice blindfolded with the sword and the scale and she dispenses justice based on facts.

“So, let’s wait until the outcome of the Supreme Court,” he said.