Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday revealed that he was tricked to attend the reception ceremony recently held in honour of Bode George who regained freedom after completing a two year jail term.
Mr Obasanjo made this known in an interview with newsmen while preparing for his 74 birthday anniversary at his Hilltop Private residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, scheduled to hold today (Saturday). He stressed that his attendance of the event was totally in error...
“You got it wrong again. I was not part of the celebration of Bode Goerge. He sent a passionate message to me from prison urging me to attend a family church thanksgiving and I believe that for whatever any family is giving thanks in the church or in the mosque and he invites me and I am able to go there, I will go there, whether it is for marriage, for burial, house warming or christening a child.” Mr Obasanjo said. “But when I got to the church, the atmosphere I found was more than a family affair. And I even took the opportunity to ask the state PDP Chairman that, ‘is this a PDP affair?’ And he told me it was not a PDP affair.
“Because I don’t see what PDP as a national party, as a party that is trying to form a government in Lagos State, as a party that formed government at the national level and in at least 27 states in the country, would be celebrating criminality because whatever we may say, the reason Bode went to prison should be condemned by everybody.
“And I have condemned it but he did not go to prison for political offence. If he had been sent to prison for political offence, then he comes back and all his political associates may get round him and PDP must do something noble and wholesome but in this case, PDP as a party must dissociate itself from celebrating criminality.
“When I asked the state chairman, he said ‘well, you know Area Boys, they do hijack these things.’ If it’s Area Boys, leave it to the Area Boys and not to PDP,” the party’s board of trustee chairman emphasised.
On the Federal Court judgement which pronounced Tunji Olurin as the party governorship candidate in Ogun State, Mr Obasanjo said: “Don’t forget that PDP is a family; there may be a little misunderstanding but we have to go to court for adjudication; the court adjudicates but as soon as possible, the family should come together and forge ahead.
“PDP nationally is a family; zonally is a family; state-wise it is a family; local government wise, it is a family; so the members in Ogun State should put behind them whatever might be their bone of contention.”
He said he had equally told Mr Olurin to extend his hand of fellowship to other people. “I have told him to set up a reconciliation committee. I am the Chairman of BOT of the PDP. As the Chairman of the BOT, I am supposed to be the conscience of the party. Whatever be the rift, I am supposed to find amicable settlement. I have done it in other states, why not in my state?” Mr Obasanjo explained.
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