I Won’t Quit Politics – Bode George

A former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George has stated that he will not quit partisan politics, despite pressures from family members and friends to leave the active political scene. Speaking journalists in Lagos yesterday, George, a retired senior naval officer, said that retiring from politics at this period of his life would amount to putting the political future of his supporters in jeopardy.
He however told newsmen that he had struck a balance by ensuring that he limited his involvement to advisory activities, as he did not power and strength “to do what I used to do in the past,” saying he would soon be 70.
“Many of the people thought I would just disappear into a hole and never play politics again but the people said no, that I have to be their leader. Even my children have been telling me to quit politics and I have told them no. When God anoints you, he will give you every necessary tool. If you now run away, you have disobeyed God who has called you to do,” George said.
According to him, his recent conviction and subsequent incarceration were politically motivated and that such experience had further emboldened him to serve the people.
“The problem I have with my trial is that I was alleged to have contravened a federal government directive and was tried by a Lagos judge using Lagos laws. Even the trial judge did not state in the judgment that we stole; he only stated that we contravened the said directive, which I have not even seen till date,” he said.
Appraising the state of the party, particularly in the Lagos State chapter, he stated that those aggrieved with his style of leadership were only waiting to capitalize on his misfortune to wrest the leadership from him, saying no serious crisis exists in the party to warrant reconciliation.