George adamant he won’t vote Atiku, wants to go to his grave sticking to the truth
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Bode George is adamant he will not vote for Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 ballot, to head off Northern domination of the South, and, since is inching towards dead at 77, he wants to down in his grave knowing he told the truth and never waivered.
“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,” he said.
George, former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National Chairman (South West), was speaking to Vanguard.
He is a member of the PDP Integrity Group, a larger body which includes the G5 – Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).
The Integrity Group demand the resignation of PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu as condition for them to support Atiku, the party’s presidential candidate.
They argue the PDP constitution spells out zoning of elective and political offices, and insist it is not allowed for the presidential candidate and the National Chairman to come from the same zone, to avoid domination of one region by another.
“The [PDP] constitution says this thing must come to the South. Is [Muhammadu] Buhari from Anambra, Oyo? Is he not from the North? Imagine the millions of votes here and he is abandoning them,” George told Vanguard.
“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.”
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Character matters
“The Nigerian electorate understand what is happening,” George stressed, per Vanguard.
“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?”
George said Atiku may manipulate his way to Aso Rock but he will need character to remain in the job.
“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.”
Need for conscience
“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.
“It will not stand, let it be. We must have a conscience. We must be bold enough to tell the truth to power.”
George said the G5 is not perturbed their stance may lead to a defeat for the PDP in the election next year.
