Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George, says his decades-long political differences with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have not turned into personal hatred.
Speaking on a national television programme on Wednesday, the elder statesman said age and experience have taught him to separate politics from personal grudges.
“We are no more enemies,” George said. “We have disagreed politically over the years, but that does not mean we must remain enemies forever. Age teaches you many lessons. We have come a long way. There is no need to carry bitterness forever.”
He explained that both men now exchange pleasantries whenever they meet in public.
“If I see him today, I will greet him. If he sees me, he greets me. That is the way life should be. Politics should not become a personal war,” he added.
George, a former military officer, stressed that he remains a committed PDP member and has no plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. However, he said democracy works best when opponents can disagree without demonizing each other.
“I am still a PDP man. I have not changed my party. But politics is about service, not hatred,” he said.
The PDP chieftain urged Nigerians to stop treating politics as a battlefield where rivals become permanent enemies. He noted that enduring democracies thrive when politicians argue vigorously but still show mutual respect.
Despite his conciliatory tone, George said he will continue to hold the Tinubu administration to account.
“If I see something that is wrong, I will say it. Constructive criticism is part of democracy. That does not make me anybody’s enemy,” he stated.
He concluded by calling on political leaders to put Nigeria’s interest above partisan considerations and to embrace dialogue and tolerance instead of hostility.
