Former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, has in anew interview expressed his fears for Lagos state particularly after the 2019 Lagos governorship election. Bode George queried the direction of the democratic structure of the state describing Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the emperor of the state.
He noted that: “I have tried to resolve within my mind whether I was dreaming or in the realm of outer space. It is unbelievable. It is absolutely shambolic. When it started gradually, some of us were shouting. They said, ‘Don’t mind Bode. It is because he is in the opposition’. Now, the chickens have come home to roost. How can you, as an individual, determine the fate of the largest state economically in this country with the largest population? How did he do it? Did he use juju to slam our people? It’s a joke. You put this young man, (Governor Akinwunmi) Ambode, there and, suddenly, you say he isn’t going back. When I said it, people thought I was joking. During the First Republic, no politician had the authority to determine who should go to the toilet, who should be Speaker, or who should be this or that. Is it a private company? Lagosians should wake up. It is only the almighty God that we all depend on and look to; but for an individual? No! The time has come that the right-thinking people, those who love this state, must come out. He has defied every definition of democracy. He is like an emperor. It is so disgraceful. This is my state; I was born here. I am in my mid-70s now and I have never seen anything like this. We were all young kids when Papa (Obafemi) Awolowo was running the Western Region. It was a collective responsibility. But now, it is the government of the emperor, for the people of the emperor and by the people of the emperor. I can’t believe it. And people are still jostling because the kind of money he has made within our state is disgraceful. This is a challenge also to the (Muhammadu Buhari) government in power. How can an individual be talking about corruption? You saw the salvos released by Ambode. Have they been investigated?”
On who is the emperor he was talking about, he said: Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, of course! He is the only emperor of Bourdillon. Look at what has been happening with Alphabeta. I said it almost 10 years ago; nobody listened. It is a fast track to destruction. I am praying that God almighty will work in the minds of the electorate. They have been a bit responsibly calm, but it’s getting to the precipice. What is the guarantee for the future of the children, the downtrodden? My father was a civil servant in the middle class, but we struggled; we went to the university. From his sweat, he built us up. Where is the civic education that will teach the up-and-coming children your duty as defined by civics to yourself, your people, your community and your government? This is not an autocratic (country). This is not Europe. It’s amazing. If we don’t do anything, the pages of history will be replete with a load of crap that ‘what were you doing when this was going on?’ They will ask us. Our children and grandchildren will be wondering that we said we were running a democratic government. How come? Someday, he will exit. Will he hand over to his wife or children, because Lagos is now a private property? You can see what happened in Eastern Europe, especially Russia. The communist system collapsed. (Romanian leader – Nicolae) Ceaușescu and his wife were murdered. People got fed up with all the other dictators in that area. I don’t want that in my state; I don’t want any more killings. But to have all the resources in this country in the hands of one individual is shambolic, unreliable and it is against all civilised norms. I am appealing now. That power has come with the electorate to take a decision. He wants to impose this (Babajide) Sanwo-Olu. Tomorrow, if the Sanwo-Olu wants to start doing something else apart from what he wants based on the needs of the people, if it runs foul with him, he will then start plotting to throw him away. That was what he did with (former Governor Babatunde) Fashola. Now, Ambode came, he threw him out because he knows that he handpicked the members of the House of Assembly who would listen to his dictates. It would be a shame. I am calling on all Lagosians, indigenes and non-indigenes, to rise up to the occasion. Let us, for the umpteenth time, rise up and exercise our power. Otherwise, someday, people will get fed up and they will remember what I’m saying today.
Photo Credit: Getty
