- You’re ‘the Best Candidate in your party’ — ex-Gov Babangida Tells Osinbajo
Supporters of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Chief Bola Tinubu — one of the national leaders of the APC have been advised to stop creating ill feeling between the two camps with the intension to divide Yoruba people and at the expense of Nigeria.
Comrade Abdull Hakeem Adegoke Alawuje, a Kaduna-based national coordinator of the disciples of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the appeal amid the ongoing struggle over who flies APC presidential ticket during the 2023 general elections.
Reacting to the speculated feud between Osinbajo and Tinubu over their political interest, Alawuje said Vice President Osinbajo has not indicated to contest the office of President Muhammodu Buhari, claiming he is being pushed forward by selfish individuals and spoilers against Tinubu.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, he claimed: “People are spreading rumor. I met with the Vice President severally and he has never come out to say he is interested in becoming Nigerian President”.
With the relationship between him and Tinubu, he said: “if he is coming out, Tinubu will not come out and if Tinubu should come out, the Vice President will not come out. It is like the case of father and child.
“In Yoruba land, we know what elder is all about and what mentor is”, recalling that “in 2015 when Buhari picked ticket of APC, Tinubu single-handedly brought Osinbajo and made him Vice President because of one thing or the other”, which he did not explain.
The Tinubu’s man further alleged that ”now that it is time for Tinubu to come out, I believe Osinbajo is going to be part of the campaign as the director in 2023 for Tinubu, but people are pushing him.
“The people that wanted Osinbajo by all means are criminals who want to divide Yoruba land”, he claimed, querying: “where did they know Osibanjo? If Osibanjo is going to contest as President, they should allow the same Tinubu to tell the world, I am not contesting, let the Vice President contest.
“They just want to break the relationship between the father and his son” as according to him, “in Yoruba land, we will not tolerate that. It will not work. That is why Osinbajo came out some months ago and said he is not interested, he has never declared his intension, which means he has told people to stop talking about it.
“Now, Tinubu has come out to tell the President that he wants to contest. He went to Osibanjo’s office to tell him the same. That means he has passed message to the entire world. Osinbajo will not come out to contest against his boss. That issue is settled,” Alawuje said.
The claim by the Tinubu support group in Kaduna comes as a former Governor of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu described Vice-President Osinbajo as the best candidate for the APC in the 2023 presidential election.
Babangida who said this during the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial lecture in Kano, Tuesday remarked: “Mr Vice President, do you know you are the best candidate in your party?” He stated that “riff raffs” would not be allowed to take over power in 2023 even if they bring all the money in this world.
“No matter how much money he has, let him bring the money and we will collect it,” The APC Chief added.
