President Tinubu
How I pleaded with Bode George not fulfil pre-election exile vow – Tinubu
In a remarkable display of political reconciliation, President Bola Tinubu has revealed how he personally intervened to stop a leading critic, Chief Bode George, from following through on his pre-election vow to go into exile if Tinubu became President.
The revelation came via a speech delivered by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at Chief George’s 80th birthday and memoir launch in Lagos on Friday.
The event revived memories of the heated 2023 election season, when the PDP chieftain fiercely campaigned against Tinubu, repeatedly threatening to leave Nigeria if the former Lagos governor was victorious.
With a dose of humour, President Tinubu recounted his response to the threat. “I pleaded with him that he would have a change of heart,” the President told the audience, “because we would all remain in Nigeria and work together to achieve the peaceful and prosperous Nigeria of our collective dream.”
Tinubu framed Chief George’s decision to invite him to the landmark celebration as proof that deeper Nigerian values of kinship and respect endure beyond partisan conflicts.
“The invite reflects the Nigerian and Lagos spirit — our shared humanity, history, kindred spirit and good neighbourliness,” he said.
The President used the occasion to preach unity, stating, “As politicians, we can shout and disagree. Still, the values that bind us together as members of the same household living in different rooms are more enduring than what divides us.”
He acknowledged that while they have been on opposite political sides since 1999, a mutual respect has always remained. “Since assuming office, Chief George has offered valuable counsel through his public interventions on national issues,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu honored the celebrant as “a distinguished Nigerian, an elder statesman, and an accomplished public servant,” describing his journey to 80 as one marked by “divine grace and personal resilience.”
He also commended Chief George’s newly unveiled memoir, which chronicles his life from a Lagos childhood to a naval career, and from Military Governor of the old Ondo State to his role at the Nigerian Ports Authority and decades in politics. Tinubu pledged his full support for the book, encouraging Nigerians and public institutions to acquire copies for its “invaluable lessons on leadership.”
The event, which once seemed an improbable scene given the past hostilities, ended as a symbolic moment of thaw in Nigeria’s often sharply divided political climate. The man who once vowed to leave the country celebrated his milestone on Nigerian soil, with a message of goodwill from the President he once opposed ringing through the hall.
About The Author
