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Tag: Bode George

  • Tinubu should invite ex-servicemen, says George

    Tinubu should invite ex-servicemen, says George

    Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Commodore Olabode George, yesterday advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seek the input of ex-servicemen into the anti-terror war.

    He said the statement credited to some leaders that President Tinubu should resign because of insecurity was a cheap blackmail.

    George, a former military governor of Ondo State, advised the President to call a meeting of service chiefs and former military leaders to fashion out a solution.

    He said state police would reinvigorate security because of the advantages of intelligence gathering and knowledge of policing areas by the personnel.

    George told reporters in Lagos: “If President Tinubu is committed to moving the country forward, he should study and implement the resolutions of the 2014 National Conference, which addressed the numerous challenges facing the country.”

    Read Also; Tinubu determined to enhance conducive business environment at Lekki Free Zone – Shettima

    He said: “The time to revisit the issue of state police is now. The president should not shy away from it. We copied the American constitution, but we copied it half way. In USA, each state has its police and manage their resources.”

    “Tinubu should visit the 2014 confab report. The constitution we are operating now recklessly disturb the growth of our nation.

    “Impact of community police is unimaginable, we are at the precipice of total collapse. That constitutional report we must visit it.

    “The security situation has scared investors and some companies are moving out of the country. The President should invite elders who have been in the military for discussion on a way out, and it must be done urgently.”

    George said the idea of a mega party with PDP as the anchor may be day dreaming, “although those who want to experiment can go for it.”

    He maintained that if PDP wants to get it right in 2027, it should honour the zoning arrangement put in place by the founding fathers, adding that the South should be given the opportunity to produce the presidential candidate.

    George said the 2023 presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, should not scheme for 2027.

    He said the former Vice-President should play the role of a kingmaker and big brother to mentor the government in power.

  • Bode George lacks ideas on moving Lagos PDP forward, says Agbaje

    The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2019 governorship candidate Jimi Agbaje has said there is no iota of truth about his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In a statement yesterday by Agbaje’s media spokesperson, Felix Oboagwina, he said the politician was still in the PDP and there is no plan do otherwise.

    According to him, former Deputy National Chairman of PDP Chief Bode George issued a statement that Agbaje left the PDP. According to Agbaje, it was a false narrative.

    He urged George to leave the party if he could no longer add value to PDP.

    He said: “People should please tell Bode George to shut up and leave PDP if he lacks any value to add to the party, instead of being a dog in the manger hampering the progress of the party in Lagos State.”

    Oboagwina described the news about the purported defection as misinformation that should be discountenanced.

    Read also: I’ve not dumped PDP, says Agbaje

    He said Agbaje had never been a member of APC and talks of his “returning” to the ruling party had never crossed his mind.

    According to him: “That false narrative is the product of a sick mind. Or how else do you describe someone who just sits down to concoct fiction and markets it as reality? He should tell the world where he got the news being spreading round.

    “These shameless party leaders have 2023 in mind. The game-plan is mischievously simple: Give the dog a bad name and chase it away from the party. By 2023, this mudslinging will have scared off credible people from the party, which will leave the whole field to them to continue to corner party resources.

    “I am too big to sneak out of one party into another one. And the reality remains that I have not left PDP for any other party, least of all APC.”

    He blamed the false narrative on the same set of self-styled party leaders who, on the eve of the governorship election, went to declare for a rival candidate.

    “These are people who feel that they want to continue business as usual within PDP,” he said. “All their interest revolves upon sharing campaign and election funds without giving any thought to how to elevate the party’s chances at the polls or adding value to the process

    He pointed out that as long as the PDP National Headquarters continued to pamper the divisive characters and pander to their whims, so long would the party continue to fail in elections in Lagos State.

     

     

     

  • Adewale: George is killing Lagos PDP

    Factional chairman of the Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Segun Adewale spoke with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE on the intra-party crisis, why this is likely to persist and his plan to take over the party secretariat.

    The dispute over Lagos PDP chairmanship, what is it all about?

    The last time we were fighting over the chairmanship of the Lagos PDP, we ended up resolving it through reconciliation by the national body. If you look at it very well, there was a judgment that sacked the Ali Modu Sherrif-led national executive. That judgment did not sack the Lagos State PDP chairman. So, those who took over merely wanted to control Lagos PDP. That is why we kept fighting over the party leadership in the state. When the national body resolved the problem on the Sherriff issue, it was an opportunity for Lagos PDP to right the wrong. Lagos is the only state where the PDP has not won governorship election. This is because of the leadership of Chief Bode George. He has never won election in his ward or local government, not to talk of the state. At the end of the day, the party’s performance is getting worse. This is because the same set of people has been the ones running the show in Lagos PDP. They collect billions of naira from the national body every four years and always fail to deliver during elections. They make money through the sale of forms for local government election and others elections which run into millions of naira. I am the only chairman that has ever won six councillorship seats for the party in local government election. At the time, Bode George took Lagos PDP to Labour Party (LP). If not for personal agenda, why would he not call me and address me like a son: Adewale you cannot be chairman, but for the sake of our party let us unite. I even went as far as calling Moshood Salvador and relinquished the chairmanship to him for the sake of our party during the council election.

    Will the present battle resolve the problem?

    My battle with some elements in the party is that my tenure will end in 2021. The election that brought me in was transparent. But, after so much fighting, the national leadership reconciled us; they said Bode George should still be the PDP leader. For crying out loud, must they continue to give him the chairmanship every time? Under him, the party has never won any election in Lagos. Leadership should be based on performance and merit. With the number of years he has spent in the party, what is his performance? He has never achieved anything; they collect billions of naira every four years and share the money. They are not interested in whether the PDP wins election or not. But, we don’t care; let them continue to collect the money. Things cannot continue this way, because Lagosians are tired. The PDP has put itself forward as opposition, yet they are not doing their job because they are aware that the people are really gullible. When South-south, Southeast people resident in Lagos vote for us, we waste their votes. These people are not compensated at the end of the day. The leadership of the PDP will not even call them to say we are sorry for trading your votes. I don’t want this thing to continue, that is why I am fighting. I stepped down for Salvador after the reconciliation; there was no congress because the man who would have conducted the congress died. It was agreed that Bode George should provide 50 per cent of executive composition, I take 10 per cent, Aduke Maina 20 per cent and Agbaje 20 per cent; that was what happened. But, I gave my 10 per cent to Bode George, because I have reconciled with him. I did that because I was sure the party will not win as long as Bode George was in control. I had to move to Ekiti State to contest election there.

    So, what transpired in Ekiti?

    In Ekiti, I met another Bode George in Ayo Fayose, who insisted I could not contest election under the PDP. He said I could not contest, because I came from Lagos. But, I told him that my father is from Ekiti. He maintained that it was only Eleka that will fly the banner of the PDP in the state. At the end of the day, I had to contest on the platform of the Action Democratic Party (ADP). But, immediately after the election, I returned to the PDP with some of the people that went with me to the ADP. When I came back I gave those who went with me N1 million and said it was part of my contribution to the campaign for Atiku. I want to say that the selection of Adegbola Dominic as the chairman of our party is against our constitution.

    Is the PDP likely to overcome its challenge in Lagos?

    The party is united against Bode George. I make bold to say that he cannot win his ward and I am ready to put one million naira, if he wins his ward and N100 million if he wins his local government. He is working for the APC. I want to say that the moment he produces the next chairman, I will personally lead the campaign to support the APC in any coming election, because he is not serving the interest of those voting PDP in Lagos. Even when those supporting the PDP are facing persecution, but the party has never come up with any statement to denounce such uncivilized conduct meted out to its supporters.

    There has been accusations and counter accusations on why PDP failed in the 2019 governorship election…

    I am not saying that I was told, I witnessed it. Dominic himself came out openly to say that we did not work for Jimi Agbaje, because he did not give us money. The issue of money is the reason why we have been losing elections in Lagos. The money they were expecting did not come to them directly, so they decided to frustrate the election efforts of Agbaje.  Agbaje on his part said I lost the election because they did not work for me. But, is that an excuse? He should have worked harder; his performance is getting poorer with each election. We must send Bode George on compulsory retirement. Let him collect all the billions and give us our freedom. I am making plans to seal the secretariat, because I am the authentic chairman.

     

  • No more rift in Lagos PDP-Bode George

    Former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Olabode George has said there is no rift in the party.

    The PDP leader, who spoke at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos, said the party would win the coming election.

    Present at the meeting are Lagos PDP governorship candidate Jimi Agaje; PDP deputy governorship candidate Haleemat Busari; former Minister of Transport Ebenezer Babatope; former Lagos State Deputy Governor Kofoworola Akerele- Bucknor; former Minister of Work Adeseye Ogunlewe; Dr. Eddy Olafeso and other party chieftains.

    According to him, issues preventing the party from winning previous elections in the state have been addressed, noting PDP was prepared to make Lagos better.

    He said: “We are here to discountenance the deliberate misinformation running riot out there.

    “Contrary to the misleading opinion in some sections of the media, our party is not disrupted by any infighting.

    “We are woven in a united vision, summed up in a thoughtful unanimity of purpose.

    “We are emboldened by well-articulated truth and summative defining purpose and shared beliefs. Yes, we might have had our differences in the past during the strongly contested gubernatorial primary.

    “We are now one, indivisible family. There is no rancor in our midst. There is no bitterness or hatred.

    “We are no longer contesting anything with ourselves. Jimmy Agbaje is our unifying gubernatorial candidate. We support him wholeheartedly and with total commitment.”

    Read Also: FG releases N100bn Sukuk fund for 28 road projects

    George explained that when PDP starts its campaign in Lagos, notable leaders of the party would grace Agbaje’s campaign.

    He added that the contest against the All Progressives Congress (APC) was to rescue the state from bad governance, stressing that Lagosians were behind the PDP.

    “Our party has now come out on a mission of rescue and salvage. Lagos must be redeemed and unchained from the manacles of APC.

    “Surely we can’t continue with this madness. We need a real, progressive fundamental change.

    “This is where we stand today. Lagosians deserve better than this arbitrary, undisciplined, aberrational cabal holding down our people. They must be voted out.”

    Agbaje said Lagosians would define their voting on the character of candidates seeking offices, noting that the era where voters were taken for granted was over.

    “The first thing we need to bring to governance in Lagos state is character of leadership. You can have the best blueprint in the world but if you don’t have good character it will go nowhere.

    “There are two types of politicians those that seek power for service and for themselves. What we have in Lagos today are those that have power for themselves and it can best be described as Oligarchy system of government.

    “If you compare Jakande era with these set of people that have been in power in the last 20 years you will see that Jakande was there for service because you have education, health, water, house among others.

  • 2019: Bode George calls for unity in PDP

    A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has urged  members  to unite to achieve victory in 2019.

    George gave the advice while speaking with journalists on Friday in Lagos.

    He said the goal of defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the general elections could not be realized in a divided house.

    George enjoined party members to put whatever grievances they had behind them and sacrifice their personal ambitions and interests to ensure PDP’s victory in 2019.

    He also called for repositioning of PDP in view of the mistakes the party made in the past.

    “We must unite and work closely together for the victory of the party in 2019.

    “We must put old things behind us and sacrifice our personal ambitions and interests, not only for the victory of the party, but for the progress of the nation.

    “We must correct things quickly before the end of the year and reposition and restabilise the party for the battle ahead.

    “We are not fighting from the government side now, we are in the opposition. We must unite more than ever because a divided house is a defeated house,” he said.

    George said one of the mistakes the party made in the past was its failure to micro-zone the position of the national chairmanship to South West at the last convention to elect officers.

    He said the zone had never produced a national chairman and there were high expectations that the Ahmed Makarfi-led committee would give the slot to the region in line with the party’s long -standing arrangement.

    George said with the eventual emergence of the chairman from the South South, the party presented the South West as if it did not matter.

    The former Deputy-Chairman of the party added that shutting out of the South West in the scheme of  things gave the APC a field day in 2015 to ensure the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    George urged the party to avoid the pitfalls of the past ahead of 2019, calling for the inclusion of all regions and members in the journey to the election.

    He described himself as an irredentist PDP member in spite of all , saying his support for the party’s Presidential Candidate,  Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, could not be doubted.

    Read also: Bode George to youths: Don’t repeat mistakes of the past

    On the relationship between him and the Lagos PDP Governorship Candidate,  Mr Jimi Agbaje, George said he had no problem with him.

    He said though Agbaje erred by contesting against him for the party’s chairmanship at the elective convention just to stop him, he had forgiven him.

    George said at the right time, he and some other elders of the party would be more visible in the candidate’s campaign to win Lagos.

    The PDP Chieftain urged Nigerians to make peace the watch word as the country journeyed into 2019, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the people’s will prevailed.

    “We should all do our bits to ensure the hitch-free conduct of the general elections. We should eshew violence.

    “President Buhari should also ensure that the will of the people prevails by ensuring credible conduct.

    “Nigeria belongs to all of us and we should not do anything to plunge it into chaos.,” he said.

    He said restructuring was a precondition for development and called for the implementation of the idea for progress. (NAN)

  • Bode George to youths: Don’t repeat mistakes of the past

    Former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),  Olabode George, has warned Nigerian youths against repeating mistakes of the past.

    He said that without the knowledge of history among the youths, the mistakes that led to the civil war and disagreement in the western region could be repeated.

    Speaking in Abuja at the elder statesmen’s reflections on Nigeria and the launch of a national compendium organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), he said that most youths, 35 years downwards, are unable to say what led to the civil war or disagreement in the western region.

    He said: “The great American philosopher George Samtayana said ‘those who forget the past will be condemned to repeat it,’ these days we realise that history is no longer taught in our schools, civic education is no longer taught in our schools; it must be made compulsory in our schools.

    Read also: Bode George tasks INEC on electoral neutrality

    “It gives them the foundation of understanding where the nation is coming from. They can appreciate the enormous problems of those who are in governance and the pitfalls of the past which can be avoided.

    “Take anyone from the age of 35 downwards and ask them what led to the disagreement of the old western region or the Nigerian civil war they will not know. We have remained a nation for 104 years; that in itself is a great achievement. Let us beam further on the part of progression and Pacific relations and continue to stamp out the ideology of hatred.”

    In his remarks, the Director General, NOA, Dr Garba Abari, said that the compendium beams the searchlight on gladiators who fought to keep Nigeria together despite the odds.

  • Bode George seeks Yoruba unity

    A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has urged the Yoruba to shun selfish interests and unite to place the Southwest in the enviable position it deserves.

    The politician spoke yesterday at the grand zonal congress of Southwest Youth and Women Leaders in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

    He noted that the Yoruba can no longer go in different directions.

    In an address, titled: “Truth, Sacrifice, Excellence and the Pathway to the Future,” George said: “Our founding fathers were largely steered by the greater good of the Yoruba nation. They knew that personal ambition must never eclipse the larger vision of our collective destiny. They knew that bitterness and envy must never be used to corrode the promptings of selflessness and sacrifice. They knew that avarice, malice and deceit can never be appropriated as the building tools of our Omoluabi culture. They knew that no society endures on selfish promptings of the moment. It is an arduous building block of focused service and dedication.”

    George urged the Yoruba nation in the build-up to next year’s general election to establish friendship across the nation.

    He added: “We must build bridges of friendship and cooperation across the vast Nigerian tribal crossroads to achieve the best for our people. We must negotiate with our First Eleven. We must work together with those who share our vision of progress to enhance the leadership of our nation.

    “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to all the sectors of the Nigerian nation to please give fairness and peace a chance to strengthen our national interest.”

    On the need for unity among the Yoruba, George said: “The Yoruba founding pioneers were indeed representatives of men and women who came from the furthest reaches of Ekiti, the fertile expanses of Ondo land, the streams and waters of Osun, the forests and thickets of Oyo and the mountainous ranges of the Atlantic shores.

    “Today, we occupy an inevitable position in the Nigerian firmament because we are now too much self-absorbed. We are too much hindered by parochial pursuits to the detriment of the greater Yoruba vision. We have dismantled the collective oneness which once gave us the cutting edge advantage in the past.’’

    The politician urged the Yoruba to return to what he called the time-tested virtues of their founding fathers.

    He said: “We must return to the sacred dignities of old where personal ambitions were restrained by humility. We must return to the instinctive patriotic zeal that insists on sacrifice and selfless service. We must return to the good old days when hard work and perseverance were treasured over the lazy recourse to the easy ways.

    “We can no longer afford to be going in different directions. That will not get us anywhere. It will always result in confusion and chaos. It will always result in aimlessness and forfeiture. As we push and pull in different ways, we become weaker and invariably enfeebled without any relevance, without any cogent achievements.”

    On the clamour for generational shift of power from elders to the youth, George said renewal and change form the lifeblood of all societies.

    “Nothing is static. Permanent progression is in here in the nurturing of new ideals and new vision. Change is a natural phenomenon. But any change that will endure must follow a certain process for it to achieve a desirable outcome that is sustainable…”

     

     

     

     

    “Let us not forget that politics and governance are like other sectors of life where you require a reasonable level of relevant knowledge, skill, period of tutelage or mentorship, experience and track record to attain a leadership position. No young lecturer, however brilliant, will say he is taking over as vice chancellor of a university without meeting certain requirements, as related to the standards of a university. It is wrong to think that anybody can take over any political position if he is not adequately prepared for it.

    “I support the “Not Too Young To Run” law recently assented to by President Muhammad Buhari. It is like what is referred to in the professional sectors as catching them young and training them for stardom. But let me warn that training and mentorship are indispensable.

    “Politics and governance in civilised societies have thrown up young leaders in recent times, such as President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of Austria. But the toga of youthful embrace must not encourage rascality, mediocrity and disrespect for elders.

    “The young leaders in Europe rose through the system over a period of time and had distinguished themselves in previous political responsibilities entrusted upon them.

    “That is the way to go about it. What we need in this country is a deliberate and purposely built process of mentorship of the youths for responsibilities in politics and governance by our political parties. The youths must subject themselves to this process, patiently learning from the successes and failures, wisdom and mistakes of the experienced older political actors and functionaries.

    “A Yoruba adage says: ‘Omode ri ogun, o npe lefo’ (A child sees a herb in the bush and calls it a vegetable for preparing soup because of the limitation of his knowledge). It is the elder who then explains that it is a herb for preparing a medication. The youth have a lot to learn from the elders to avoid the mistakes of the past and be able to take the nation to the next level.

    “Humility is a priceless virtue. We must remember that the youths of today will become the elders of tomorrow who will be expected to mentor the youths of tomorrow. It is natural that they too will demand respect from incoming generations,” George said.

  • Ekiti Poll : We’ll win, no intimidation can subvert people’s will – Uche Secondus

    … Warns PDP’ll probe Buhari, APC over handling Abacha’s loot

    The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, on Friday boasted that the party and its governorship candidate, Prof. Kolapo  Olusola Eleka, would win the Saturday governorship election in Ekiti State.

    Secondus alleged that there were plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled “Federal government to take Ekiti State by force but said no amount of intimidation can subvert the will of the people.”

    The PDP national chairman made this known in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when he and

    the PDP Board of trustee Chairman, Senator Walid Jubrin, Chief Bode George, former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara among others national leaders stormed Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, ahead of Saturday meeting with former Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he described as a “warrior, hero and winner.”

    Secondus berated the anti- corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari – led government, saying it claimed to be fighting corruption “whereas it is committing mother of corruption” with Abacha’s loot.

    “How on earth will a government engage in mother of corruption? Abacha’s loot money has been withdrawn from the banks and being given to cronies.

    Read Also: Ekiti election: Motor parks busy as passengers travel

    “We want assure President Muhammad Buhari and APC that they will be held accountable.That is mother of corruption.

    “No government will put money in baskets and starts sharing. When PDP takes over in 2019, we will ask them to refund every kobo of Abacha’s loot,

    “The Abacha’s loot the Federal government said they are going to share without budgettibg for it is a wrong way to appropriate money. It is never done anywhere. That is recipe for corruption. Who are they giving it to?

    “I believe that the money is meant for the APC government for election in 2019 and they have started using it. If they do, when we take over, we will probe it. They will be held responsible and accountable and they will refund because they must appropriate for it,” he said.

    While speaking on plans to unhorse APC at the National and in Ogun State, Secondus hinted that there would shaking and shifting in the weeks ahead within the ruling party.

    “You will see signs and wonders. In a matter of weeks, there will be shaking and shifting. The APC government has nothing to offer, they are afraid. What they are doing today is not knew, it has happened before. We can’t be intimidated,” Secondus told his cheering party faithful.

  • Obasanjo and I are reunited at last – Bode George

    Former National Deputy Chairman (Southwest) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, on Sunday met ex – President Olusegun Obasanjo, and declared that they are reunited after what looked like many years estranged relationship.
    George who expressed happiness and satisfaction that the disagreement between him and his former boss was over with their reconciliation, attributed the cause of the unpleasant things that negatively affected their relationship to the handiwork of the devil.
    The former military administrator of Ondo State made this known in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital,  when he led 10 man delegation to Obasanjo on a Thank you visit following the latter’s earlier courtesy visit to him in Lagos about two weeks ago.
    According to him, the “devil has now been put to shame.”
    He rededicated his loyalty and commitment to Obasanjo, saying the Ebora Owu remained his  “leader forever.”
    “I have come to say thank you after visiting me last week. Only few can do that mind you.
    “What happened between us is devil and the devil has been shamed. It is a solid reunion and I am very happy about it,” George said.
     According to Mr. Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo’s Media Aide, Bode George was accompanied during the visit  by Chief Okanlawon Shoboyede, Elder Wole Oyelese, Dr. Remi Akitoye, Dr. Ademola Dominic, Mr. Emmanuel Da-silva, Hon. Dare Adeleke, Capt. Tunji Shelle, Mr. Abiodun Ejamai and Mr. Adriano.
    Chief Joju Fadairo, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, Engr. Tony Ojesina and Ogun State Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Gbolade Osinowo were with the ex – President to receive his guests.
    The delegation later had a closed door meeting with Obasanjo.

  • 2019: Obasanjo meets Yoruba leaders, visits Bode George

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday met with leaders of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, and other political leaders in the South West on the way forward for Nigeria.

    The meeting, which was held behind closed-doors at the Lekki residence of the Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, lasted for almost two hours.

    Those at the meeting included a former governor of Ogun and the Director-General of Atiku Campaign Organisation, Chief Otunba Gbenga Daniels; a former governor of Ondo, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and Chief Kenny Martins.

    Others included Sen. Femi Okunrounmu, Chief Oyewole Fashawe, Akin Oshuntokun and Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu.

    Also at the meeting were Prof. Banji Akintoye; Dr Amos Akingba, as well as Afenifere Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin.

    Obasanjo, clad in a navy blue Agbada, however declined to speak with newsmen after the meeting.

    But the Afenifere leader, Adebanjo, told newsmen that the meeting was about strengthening unity in Yoruba land ahead of the 2019 general elections and beyond.

    He said that there was the need for elders and leaders in the region to cast their differences aside and stand as one to chart a new course for the country.

    “The meeting was nothing more than the fact that Nigeria must move forward.

    “There must be unity to destroy mediocrity and dictatorship.

    “What is important is that we have our common goal. We are not endorsing candidates yet. We must agree and be united first, and that is what we are trying to achieve.

    “If you are not united, you cannot achieve anything. And that primarily was the essence of the meeting,” he said.

    Adebanjo said the leaders at the meeting had fruitful discussions on the way forward for the Yorubas and the country, describing the meeting as an achievement.

    Convener of Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare, said the meeting was about the way forward for the country at these critical times.

    He explained that he and others met on fashioning the way forward for the country.

    Bakare said that since it was a closed-door meeting, he would not provide details.

    Asked if it was not strange sitting with Obasanjo whom he had always criticised, he said his criticisms of Obasanjo was not borne out of animosity but how to do things right.

    He added that his faulting Obasanjo in and out of office did not mean he was his enemy but a call for collective reasoning for the interest of the nation.

    Earlier, Obasanjo visited a former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, to condole with him over the recent death of his son, Dipo.

    The former president was accompanied on the visit to George’s Ikoyi residence by some of his aides and loyalists.

    Members of George’s family expressed pleasant surprise at Obasanjo’s visit, saying it marks an end to the long-standing rift between him and the PDP chieftain.

    Obasanjo urged George to take solace in God over the demise of his late son.

    “We cannot query God, but to only take solace in what He has done for you.

    “If this did not happen, who knows what next would happen.

    “I have not been around but it was on my mind to come over and commiserate with you and the family.

    “May God grant the deposed eternal rest,” he said.

    Reacting in an emotion-laden voice, sister to the deceased’s father, Alhaja Majolagbe George, declared the rift was over between Obasanjo and her brother.

    She said the family was shocked and surprised by the former president’s visit, saying it has ended years of frictions between the two.