Tinubu cannot deny begging Abacha for appointment - Bode George
- Bode George, a PDP chieftain, said Bola Tinubu begged late dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha for appointment
- George said Tinubu pleaded to be appointed as state commissioner or administration
- The PDP chieftain challenged Tinubu to a national debate if he dare to deny this claim
Bode Goerge, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has once again claimed that the All Progressives Congress (APC)'s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, begged to be appointed during the Sani Abacha's regime.
George's statement came as a support to an earlier claim made by Kola Abiola that the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) begged late dictator, Abacha, to appoint him as administrator or a state commissioner.
The PDP chieftain, in an interview with The Sun, challenged Tinubu to deny the allegation that he begged the late dictator, for an appointment to serve under his administration.
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George said: "I have nothing personal against Tinubu. I don’t hate him. We may not be in the same political party and there is no big deal about that. Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of association. On this issue of Kola’s claims, I’m saying nothing but the truth. Kola Abiola was right. Tinubu begged Abacha to make him an administrator or a state commissioner. I was in the military that time, and I was in Aso Rock with Gen. Abacha and Gen. Oladipo Diya who was then chief of general staff to Abacha. I was the principal staff officer I to Gen. Diya. I was then a commodore in the Nigerian Navy.
"Tinubu came to Aso Rock to lobby for these positions but already the military had taken decisions that Abacha’s regime was going to be purely a military regime unlike that of Babangida who appointed civilians as deputy governors to military governors then.
"Tinubu actually came to lobby to be made a commissioner but when he was told about the military decision, he became sad. He wasn’t happy and that was when he went to join NADECO and other pro-democracy activists. If Abacha had given him the positions he lobbied for, Tinubu would have been part of Abacha’s government."
George, insisting he was sure of his claim, went further to challenge Tinubu to a national debate on any platform he wished.
He said: "Unfortunately some of these people defending Tinubu and now attacking both myself and Kola Abiola don’t know all these that I’m revealing. I’m saying it again categorically that it was when Tinubu didn’t get appointment from the Abacha’s government that he, out of frustration and anger went to join NADECO.
"I challenge Tinubu to a public debate on this. I challenge Tinubu to a public debate on any national television station either here in Nigeria or abroad. I’m even ready to face him on CNN or BBC on this issue. I’m calling out Tinubu, he should take up my challenge. Even if he said we should go to a graveyard to face one another on this issue, I’m ready to face him."
George warned those defending Tinubu to ask him or the former Osun state governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, for the true story.
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"For those defending Tinubu, have they seen Tinubu coming out to speak personally or issue a personal statement on Kola Abiola’s claims and my support for Kola Abiola? I’m talking about people like former Lagos state APC chairman, Chief Henry Ajomale, former NUPENG president, Joseph Akinlaja and others who have become Tinubu’s defenders on this issue. If these people don’t know about what transpired during the June 12 crisis, they should keep quiet instead of defending what is not defensible, I say once again, Tinubu should come and face me in a public debate on this issue if he believes I’m not saying the truth.
"If Abacha had agreed with Tinubu, Tinubu would have become deputy governor to Oyinlola. Both Oyinlola and Tinubu are brothers. They are both from Osun state. Tinubu is from Iragbiji while Oyinlola is from Okuku. Nigerians should ask Oyinlola if I’m lying. Facts are facts, Tinubu can’t deny that he lobbied Abacha to be made a commissioner or deputy governor to Oyinlola. I’m putting all these together in my memoirs, which will be out very soon," he said.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that an Osun state socio-political group, the Ifesowapo Society, said Tinubu is competent for 2023 presidency if the presidential ticket is zoned to the south.
The president of the group, Samuel Jegede, who made this known in Osogbo, the state capital, said Tinubu’s political credentials and achievements are already speaking for him.
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