- Says Atiku may enter Aso Villa but…
FORMER Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George says he would be a happy man going to the grave, knowing that he did not waiver in telling the truth.
The PDP chieftain, who is a member of the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Integrity Group, (G-5 Governors), said having a southern presidency in 2023 should have been the proper thing to do.
He told Vanguard newspaper in an exclusive interview that; “The constitution says this thing must come to the South. Is Buhari from Anambra or Oyo? Is he not from the North?
“Imagine the millions of votes here and he is abandoning them. You think you are deceiving them. If they like, let them vote for him, I will go down in my grave that I told the truth and I didn’t waiver.
“The Nigerian electorate understands what is happening. If they know you have the capacity and the ability to resolve this whole problem, they can trust you when you have a bigger problem. When you explain yourself, you will earn their trust. How did you emerge?
“There is no absolutism in democracy. All these stories are a load of trash. We solved the constitutional question for him to emerge. I was there. Why can’t we employ the same process for the sake of peace? If we had allowed the Presidency to come to the South, would we be arguing now?” he said.
For Chief George, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar may find his way somehow to Aso Villa, but he will certainly need character to sustain himself there
“When you have built a house, make sure you don’t tamper with the foundation. Maneuvering can take you to the Villa but what sustains you there is character.
“If Nigerians decide to vote for Atiku, I will not because of this principle. If he becomes the President, his character will sustain him. He is my friend, but if you are not bold enough to tell your friend that what he is doing is not right, someday the larger being will ask you. I will not vote for Atiku because of that principle.
“If we accept the injustice, we are going back to those days of darkness when justice, fairness, and equity could be thrown away because of tribalism.
“Yes, he can win. He can manipulate. If they call me, I am ready for any debate based on the truth. We know what our constitution says. Now, you want to start tampering with the taproot. You are trying to reinvent and rebuild the super foundation.”
Urging Nigerians and political leaders to also have good conscience in their approach to issues of national interest, the septuagenarian said; “It will not stand, let it be. We must have a conscience. We must be bold enough to tell the truth to power.”
He also said the G-5 is worried that their stance could result in a disastrous outing for the PDP in February next year given current crisis bedeviling the country’s main opposition party.
The G-5 governors and some party elders have remained adamant that the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu must quit his position, saying there would be no compromise on their demand ahead of next year’s presidential poll. – Culled from Vanguard newspaper
