Chief Olabode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disclosed why he rejected the appeal by Lagos elders to visit President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview with TheScrutinyNG, he however said he accepted their plea to forgive Tinubu for the role he played in his unlawful incarceration for alleged contract splitting during his tenure as Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole, on October 26, 2009, sentenced Bode George, Chairman and five other former board members of NPA namely, the Managing Director, Architect Aminu Dabo, Captain Olusegun Abidoye, Alhaji Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Maidaribe and Engineer Sule Aliyu to two years each on a seven-count charge.
However, reprieve came the way of George in 2013 as the Supreme Court, voided the two years jail term, saying he was tried under a law that did not exist at the time he served as board member.
Shedding light on what transpired when the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Prince Tajudeen Olusi visited him last year, George said the elders told him Tinubu asked them to come and apologise to him.
“They came to me on three issues. The first issue, they said they came to apologise to me because everybody knew what they did with the case of the NPA. They said Bode George and others vs federal government and I was arraigned at the Lagos State judiciary before a young judge, Oyewole”.
“They pleaded for forgiveness and told me their son, who is also their leader sent them to me to apologise. It was few days to Tinubu’s inauguration as president”.
“I am glad in my lifetime, the Supreme Court revisited the matter and threw it out. It was a unanimous decision at the Supreme Court. It’s now a supra. I have forgiven all of them because even as humans we offend God and he forgives us”.
“Even some members of my party, PDP joined them in the conspiracy against me. They believe why should it be Bode George alone, let’s silence him but God has vindicated me”.
“The second issue: they said they wanted all of us to work together as Lagosians irrespective of our political differences. They said we should emulate the Arewa Consultative Forum and agree on certain issues. When we get to our respective parties, we will see the ideas to our members. By so doing, we can have a growth in Lagos. I see nothing wrong in that as long as it is for the development of Lagos and Nigeria”.
“The third one, they said just like the governors are doing, I should wear my agbada and go and visit Tinubu as a show of solidarity. That is where I disagreed with them. I said ‘ please sir, that not possible’.
“When i was in the military, I retired at Aso Villa. After that, I joined politics and I was also regular at the villa. What else am I looking for? I have no hatred for him and I have no disregard for the elders who visited me on his behalf” he said.
