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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, has been advised to borrow a bit of maturity that comes with old age from those with whom he ruled Nigeria 38 years ago, take a rest and “stop embarrassing himself and the Yoruba race by persistently dancing naked in the market place of politics.”

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, said “For someone who was Military Governor of the old Ondo State in 1988 (38 years ago), some level of decorum and maturity is expected. But it is becoming an embarrassment the way a man like Chief Bode George, who should be acting like an elder statesman, is jumping from one television station to the other to malign people who are young enough to be his children.”

Olayinka, who challenged Bode George to show what his leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has produced, added that “Since 1999, he has not won his polling unit for the PDP.

“Unlike Lagos State, we have had PDP governors in Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo and Osun States. Methinks rather than doing ‘cho cho cho’ all the time, Bode George needs to tell Nigerians why PDP has remained at the sideline in the politics of Lagos State since 1999.”

Admonishing Bode George to begin to “act like an elder that he is supposed to be,” Olayinka said; “Even if a man was overspoilt, rascally, too playful and dull as a child, at 81, he should have outgrown those vices.”

He said; “In Yorubaland, it is a strict cultural and traditional rule to respect elders. However, this respect is not automatic, it is conditional and the major condition is that an elder must avoid disrespecting himself. That is the reason it is said that ‘an elder who chooses to tie corn to his waist and run around will have fowls chasing and making mockery of him.

“Today, who among those eminent Nigerians who served as Military Governors with Bode George between 1988 and 1990 are doing ‘political we no go gree’ up and down, jumping from one media house to another to lie? Even in the PDP, who among those who served in the party’s National Working Committee with him is talking anyhow in the media as he is doing?

“Most importantly, to be respected, an elder should honour his own words. Six times, Bode George vowed to leave Nigeria should Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged as President, he never did.

“In 2015, ahead of the presidential election, Bode George promised to go on exile if APC emerged victorious in the presidential election.

“In February 2020, he said he will disown Nigeria to take the citizenship of Togo or any other country if Tinubu is elected president.

“On May 7, 2021, on Arise News, Bode George echoed his stand that he will cease to be a Nigerian should Tinubu get the presidency.

“Also in 2021, while featuring on Arise News, Bode George said he will review and renounce his citizenship of Nigeria if Tinubu becomes president.

“In January 2022, after Tinubu had announced his bid to contest for president, Bode George said he will move away from Nigeria.

“At a press briefing on March 19, 2022, Bode George further reiterated that his promise to leave Nigeria if Tinubu emerged president was no joke.

“He said then that ‘If by whatever chance he (Tinubu) gets to the villa, I won’t be part of this country. And I am not joking. I can go to Ghana and be watching with binoculars from afar.’

“Now, it is more than three years of Tinubu as President and he (Bode George) has failed to honour his own words. Should such an elder still be regarded as honourable?”

The FCT Minister’s Spokesperson insisted that the Minister will continue to stand by what he said that Bode George lacked the required moral standing to sermonised about corruption, being one of the founding fathers of corruption in Nigeria.

“Wike was clear. He said Bode George’s Abuja house was acquired with funds from Rivers State, and he stands by this.

“Bode George said he bought the property from a private owner through an agent. That is not the issue.

“Wike’s statement was never about who the property was purchased from or through. Rather, what he said was that the money with which the property was acquired came from Rivers State, and this is the question Bode George must answer,” Olayinka concluded.

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing attack on former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, describing him as a “political liability” with no electoral value in Rivers State or the wider South-South region.

Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike questioned the rationale behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—considering Amaechi as a running mate, suggesting that such a choice could only be driven by financial considerations rather than voting strength.

“If you are choosing a Vice Presidential candidate, a running mate, I’m sure the only factor that has been used to choose Rotimi Amaechi, may be financial because the former governor lacks the capacity to deliver votes.

Backing his claims with historical election data, Wike pointed out that Amaechi has failed to secure significant votes in Rivers State across multiple election cycles despite holding high-profile positions.

“He has never won a presidential election after 2011 when I was the Director of Campaign. Never! He was the Director-General of Buhari in 2015 when he was governor; why did he not get 25%?

“He was the DG in 2019 when he was a Super Minister; why did he not get 25%? He supported Atiku in 2023; how come he didn’t get 15%?” Wike queried.

The FCT Minister defined a true political asset as a former governor who retains followership and can point to tangible achievements delivered to his state during his tenure in federal office.

He challenged Amaechi to present the direct benefits his leadership brought to the people of Rivers State and the South-South region.

Wike further accused the former Transportation Minister of political inconsistency, noting that Amaechi had previously criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries as corrupt and irregular, only to turn around and participate in or benefit from the same system.

“This was the same man, just one month ago, who said the APC primary is manual, irregularity, and corruption.

“How can we talk about removing a government that we are saying there is no election, and then we are in another election?

“The same man now is benefiting from the corruption, from irregularities of the same system,” he said.

Reiterating why the region would reject Amaechi’s national ambitions, Wike highlighted past political decisions, including Amaechi’s open opposition to former President Goodluck Jonathan—a fellow South-South indigene—during his 2015 re-election bid, as well as his perceived role in the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.

“A South-South person wanted to go for a second term. You were proud you kicked him out. Now, will South-South be happy for you to be Vice President?

“You think that people have forgotten?” Wike asked, adding that the electorate in the region would demand accountability for these actions.

Contrasting his administration’s track record with that of his predecessor, Wike highlighted major infrastructural developments in Rivers State, such as the Bonny Road project, arguing that the state has received unprecedented federal attention under the current political dispensation compared to previous administrations.

“Never in the history of Rivers State, from 1999, of those who claimed to be very close to the President, have we had the type of attention that Rivers State has now.

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Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Campaign Council for the Osun State governorship election and Governor of Imo State Hope Uzodinma has charged members of the campaign council to focus on delivering victory for the party, saying every other matter can wait until after the election.

Uzodinma gave the charge on Monday during a meeting of the campaign council held at the Kano State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.

He told members that the campaign was a serious assignment and not an occasion for celebration or social activities.

Uzodinma said the campaign council’s objective was to support the APC in securing victory in the forthcoming Osun governorship election.

He stressed that the meeting was a serious working session, not a social gathering, and that members were expected to contribute meaningfully to the campaign.

We have directed all the subcommittees to meet immediately and submit their ideas and proposals before Thursday. Every member of this council belongs to a subcommittee and has a role to play in ensuring our success in the August 15 governorship election. The purpose of this meeting is to formally mandate the subcommittees to reconvene and come up with practical ideas and services that will strengthen our campaign and make our assignment easier,” Uzodinma said.

He instructed the chairmen of the subcommittees to forward their resolutions and proposals to the council’s national secretary, adding that the Central Working Committee would provide the necessary support to help them carry out their assignments.

I therefore urge all the chairmen of all the subcommittees to submit to the National Secretary of this committee all their resolutions and proposals that will enable them to work, and where they think the Central Working Committee will help them to actualise their mission.”

The APC campaign council chairman stressed that the party had only one objective.

“We have only one mission, to win the election. Everything can come after the elections,” he declared.