I Did Not Apologize to Bode George- Says Tinubu

I remember when i was little, if i quarrel with my friend, and lets say mistakenly that friend goes around to tell people i came to apologize all because i saw her and greeted ''hi'', i will so scream out and say i didn't do such a thing ''Me, go and beg you God forbid''. It is indeed epic seeing that what i did when i was little is being done by grown up and well respected men...hmmm

Now see the drama, the National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has denied ever apologizing to Chief Bode George who is the leader of People's Democratic Party, PDP in Lagos State over him being thrown into prison for alleged contract splitting.
Before now, George revealed in an interview that Tinubu was responsible for his imprisonment but had apologised to him at the burial of the Deputy President General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola-Alao in Ibadan last year.
Reacting to it, Tinubu in a statement by his media adviser Mr Sunday Dare said he never apologized to George because he had nothing to do with George being thrown into Kirikiri prison for 2years. Read statement below;


“I don’t know when and how I ever offended Mr. George. I have never wronged the man or even thought of it. I sought no forgiveness because no forgiveness was needed.

Mr. George claims the alleged apology was made at the burial of Chief Alao-Arisekola. On that date, personalities such as Oba Otudeko and Governor Ajimobi approached me because I did not greet Mr. George initially. They pleaded that, in the memory of the man we were all gathered to honour, I should greet Mr. George. At their request, I turned back and came to greet him by saying’Good Afternoon Egbon (senior).’ That was all.” Mr. George seeks to imbue me with more power than I could possibly have. I am flattered but in all humility I must protest the false assessment. If he can remember, the government of the day was that of the PDP. 

I have never had nor sought much influence in those circles. He was charged by the government ruled by his own party for an offence concerning financial irregularities at the Nigeria Port Authority, NPA, an appointment he received from that same government. 

It is an incredible tale indeed to state that somehow I could direct a party that tried to dismantle the progressive political structure of my party to bring down one of its key members. The more plausible explanation for his legal tribulation was that a member of his own cabal blew the whistle on Mr. George’s antics for reasons that only he and that person truly know. 

The rest is now history. I believe he was convicted of “ Invoice Splitting” a violation of financial regulations. This malpractice is a deliberate circumvention of the law so that the culprit may approval expenditures above his mandated authority to do so and without proper oversight.

If Mr. George wishes to interpret that as an apology, he has the right to do so. I also have the right to state categorically that no apology was made or even intended''