•Bode George and Tinubu
Amidst high-security challenges in the country, former Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, today urged President Bola Tinubu to call a meeting of all Service Chiefs and former military leaders in Nigeria to fashion out a solution to the menace.
George, who is also the Atona of Yorubaland, gave this advice while addressing newsmen at his Ikoyi Office, Lagos, saying that the convocation of the meeting of the former military leaders should be done immediately.
The PDP chieftain urged President Tinubu to jettison his political sentiment and seek input from the former military leaders and ex-service chiefs on putting an end to insecurity, which he lamented was on the increase and constituting a threat to moving the country forward.
This was just as he stressed that the setting up of State Police was very imperative if the country was keen about getting out of the security challenges currently facing her, and further called on President Tinubu to study and implement resolutions made by the 2014 Confab if he was committed to moving the country forward.
According to him, the 2014 Confab reports addressed the numerous challenges facing the country and proffered solutions to the problems, warning that progress would continue to elude the country should Nigeria continue with the 1999 Constitution, which he said was a creation of the military.
“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 halfway. In US, each state has its police and manages its resources.
“Tinubu should visit the 2014 Confab reports. The constitution we are operating now recklessly disturbs the growth of our nation,” Chief George said.
“Impact of community police is unimaginable, we are at the precipe 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,” he added.
Speaking further, George kicked against possibility of his party, PDP forming a mega with other political parties ahead of 2027 polls, saying that the party shall remain on its own while any political party or parties that wanted to form mega were free to go into it.
He quickly urged the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 General Elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, scheming to fly the PDP flag in 2027 “to by now learn to play the role of kingmaker and big brother to mentor the government in power and be consistent with the strong belief of the PDP.”
George maintained that PDP should honour the zoning arrangement put on ground by the party’s founding fathers if it wanted to get it right in 2027, saying that the party should allow the South the opportunity to produce its presidential candidate.
He said he was emphasising the zoning arrangement so that the party would not make the mistake it made in 2027, which led to its defeat.
