A former deputy national chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has asked the national leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to provide his educational certificates before contesting for the presidency in 2023.
He spoke against the backdrop of My Participations, the hugely controversial autobiography of Chief Bisi Akande, leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Osun State, which was presented to the public days ago, and which some people have now labelled a ‘PR job’ for Tinubu’s alleged presidential ambition.
Tinubu, however, insists that he’s still consulting and hasn’t yet made his rumoured interest public.
Back to the book, George maintained that, “Akande must apologise openly to Yoruba elders. The attitude that he displayed is not acceptable in a civilised society. Is it his legacy to dishonour Yoruba elders?”
Continuing, he said, “At his age, Akande should not set his house on fire. I felt very bad as a Yoruba man and as a Nigerian. He has maligned Yoruba elders and highly respectable people in the country. He was busy giving kudos to Bola Tinubu. Baba Akande is from Osun State and Tinubu is the only man that he could single out to praise.
“From the reaction to his book, you must have heard what Baba Adebanjo said. How are we going to be regarded by others? Is that the right thing to do? Baba Akande should withdraw the book that he has authored. It is very shameful. He is older than me and I don’t expect an elderly person to behave in that manner. He must apologise to those he has offended because there is nothing wrong with saying, ‘I am sorry’. I am still feeling the negative impact of what he said in the book.”
In conclusion, the erstwhile military administrator of Ondo State said, “Tinubu wants to be the President of Nigeria, his wife is a perpetual senator, his daughter is the Iya loja general and his son is in charge of the Lagos State signage company. He has not been able to present his educational certificates and yet he wants to be President.”