He that’s without sin should cast the first stone at Atiku —Bode George

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olabode George , has challenged any Nigerian who accuses his party’ s presidential candidate , Atiku Abubakar , of corruption , to cast the first stone if they ’ re truly above board .

The politician said that whatever Atiku might be accused or suspected of, he has learnt his lessons and is not likely to toe the same path .

George , who spoke on Sunday during a live radio programme , Discuss With Jimi Disu,

argued that as an ageing man , Atiku must have learnt from his past , and that he is better poised to lead the nation .

He said that Atiku is currently resting overseas where he is also fine – tuning his campaign strategy .

Referring to Presidential Muhammadu Buhari as his oga while they were both in the military, George said that he held Buhari responsible for the “ shambolic things ” that attended the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, asking the President to “ rein in his party members so that the will of the people could be done . ”
George said though Buhari might be a person of integrity , “ the general perception of the President as the leader of the All Progressives Congress makes him culpable for any perceived shortcomings of the party , such as the outcome of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states . ”

George argued that the outcomes of the elections were a “ rip – off of the people of Osun and Ekiti states of their legitimate votes . ”

“ This is the perception of the international election observers , ” George maintianed .

Asked if he thinks that Buhari is truly not in full control of his administration , George counselled the President to listen to the people through the footmen he should have appointed to gauge public feelings about his government .

George expressed doubts that Buhari won the 2015 presidential election fair and square , alleging that then President Goodluck Jonathan did not consult the party before he conceded defeat to Buhari .

“ His concession came out of the blue. We were all surprised when we heard the breaking news that GEJ had conceded defeat , ” George said .

Asked what the PDP apologised for at the peak of its desperation that it lost the 2015 elections after 16 years as the ruling party, George said the party’ s national apology came after the PDP had realised its “ mistakes . ”

He said that the outcome of the PDP national convention was an attestation of its change of character and its readiness to correct the wrongs of the past and rule well .

On the Moshood Salvadore decamping from the PDP to APC in Lagos State, with Salvadore accusing George of being responsible for his eventual joining the opposition in the state , George said that Salvadore was forced to leave the PDP after he “ veered off the rules of the party. ”

He , however , refused to elaborate , saying that the case is still in court .

He disclosed that he was Salvadore ’ s mentor when the latter joined the PDP , and that he also advised him to contest the state PDP chairmanship when Salvadore showed interest.

He accused Salvadore of installing party leaders in certain areas in the state , a situation that George said led to fracas in which someone died .

George also denied any insinuation that he wanted to help Salvadore acquire some federal property , the failure of which , some people alleged , led to grudges between them .

George , who said that he would soon retire from active politics, said ( the incumbent Lagos PDP chairman, Dr . Adebola Dominic , would work to capture Lagos for the party in the 2019 governorship election .

He also disclosed how Femi Otedola met him and said that he wanted to contest the Lagos governorship election on the PDP platform ; and how it was Deji Doherty and Jimi Agbaje that eventually applied for party ticket, with Agbaje becoming the party’ s candidate ultimately .

He expressed confidence in the Jimi Agbaje candidacy , saying that the PDP candidate ’ s silence since he won the primaries wasn ’ t unusual , and that he was only following the INEC rules that campaign can ’ t commence until the time scheduled.

The party leader said that Mr . Agbaje ’ s refusal to speak up against vexing issues of public interest in Lagos is no insinuation that he won ’ t be an effective governor if elected .

On his opinion about restructuring , George said that PDP has agreed that Nigeria must be restructured , and that it is a policy of the party for each region to have control over certain percentage of whatever it produces.

“ Abuja would still be there , but it won ’ t be the all in all as we have now , and each state will be compelled to live on the resources it generates , instead of waiting hand and foot on Abuja , ” George says .

Bode George did not respond when a listener tweeted to remind him that despite his reservations about Buhari, he should realise the President’ s “ magnanimity ” in retaining Mr . George ’ s wife , Roli , as the Director General /Secretary to the Board of the NDLEA , even when both of them are in the opposition .

He , however , said it was mundane for anyone to ask Buhari to produce his WASSCE certificate , insisting that Buhari should rather be judged on the basis of his performance as President .

“ As a retired General , Buhari attended many institutions, some of which are equivalent to postgraduate studies.

“ Nigerians should therefore judge him on the basis of his performance and not on the veracity or otherwise of any certificate , ” George said .

He would , however , not respond to his host ’ s question as to who to blame for Nigeria ’ s woes between the present and past administrations .

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