Bode George fired the first shot, now Musiliu Obanikoro has responded

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A top PDP chieftain in Lagos State, Bode George, earlier this week attacked former minister of state for defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, saying that his appointment as minister when he was “undeserving”, was one of the mistakes made by the former PDP federal government.

Speaking at an event to mark his 70th birthday, George said that the PDP would have performed better at the polls if it had not empowered people who were not committed to the party.

George’s position was supported by the Lagos PDP chairman, Capt. Tunji Shelle (retd.), who said that some members of the PDP who were given party funds during the last elections absconded with it and have now travelled out of the country in shame. Obanikoro has been away from Nigeria since the new government came into power, reportedly studying for another degree.

According to Shelle, “Money went into the wrong hands. The people who should not handle money were the ones who handled money for the PDP. I don’t want to start mentioning names but they know themselves. Some of them cannot even stay in Nigeria today because of the damage they did to the party.

“We will continue to pray that they change their attitude and character. The PDP is a strong party but I know that Chief George has done his best.”

In a response on Thursday, the former minister and governorship aspirant, Musiliu Obanikoro, berated George for using the occasion of his 70th Birthday to “trade blames, tell lies and falsify historical truths”, instead of reflecting and taking stock.

Obanikoro said in a statement signed by his new media aide, Demola Rewaju, that “Obanikoro is not anyone’s problem anymore.”

“Having served Nigeria at various levels and in various capacities under three different Presidents, his focus now is on mentoring the next generation into political leadership, a task which had some elders done, their 70th birthday wouldn’t be spent in hiding like a political leper,” the statement said.

The statement said that George and Shelle should not be afraid of Obanikoro’s shadow, but should rather fear “those youths of our great party who stand behind Obanikoro and continue to defend democracy on social media and elsewhere, against an impending tyranny.”

Obanikoro charged PDP youths to not lose faith in the party even though the party elders continue to play the game of trading blames instead of taking responsibility.

“Obanikoro wishes Pa Bode George well on his 70th birthday and looks forward to a more statesmanly political relationship as befitting of true leaders of the PDP in Lagos and Nigeria at large,” the statement concluded.

Source: The Scoop