By Samuel Adeola
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reinstate suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as a symbolic gesture to honour the spirit of June 12 Democracy Day.
In an open letter on Wednesday, marking the 32nd anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief M.K.O.
Abiola, George urged Tinubu to demonstrate the same spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness he showed to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Fubara was suspended by Tinubu on March 18 following a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State.
However, the governor’s recent Sallah visit to Tinubu in Lagos has sparked hope for a possible resolution.
George, a prominent elder statesman, reminded the President of his active role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle as a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), and urged him to act in the interest of peace and democratic values.
He further invoked Tinubu’s democratic heritage, referencing his maternal grand-uncle, Herbert Macaulay, founder of Nigeria’s first political party, as a symbol of the President’s deep-rooted legacy in nation-building.
“Mr. President, the best way to honour the memory of those who died for democracy is to walk in the path of reconciliation.
“Reinstating Governor Fubara would be a powerful gesture in that direction,” George concluded.
