Bisi Akande, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has revealed that the late President Muhammadu Buhari told him he did not encourage Yemi Osinbajo, former vice-president, to contest the 2022 presidential primary.
Recall that in 2022, Osinbajo contested the APC presidential primary against Bola Tinubu, who later emerged as the party’s flagbearer.
Osinbajo came a distant third, behind both Tinubu and Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation.
Osinbajo is widely regarded as Tinubu’s political protégé, having served as commissioner for justice and attorney-general during Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor.
Speculation has also persisted that Tinubu played a key role in Osinbajo’s emergence as Buhari’s vice-president.
OSINBAJO HAS RIGHTS TO CONTEST
Speaking on Edmund Obilo’s State Affairs podcast, Akande said Osinbajo did not withdraw from the race because he was entitled to contest the primary election.
“I wanted everybody to be free to contest the election, but I don’t want bitterness; I wanted them to talk on issues and not one to destroy another because I wanted one of them to emerge in the end, I wanted a Yoruba President,” he said.
“After several meetings, I told them we want only one and I want any of you to voluntarily step down.
“On the evening of the primary, some came to me that they were going to step down and they stepped down; it wasn’t too late.”
Akande said Osinbajo chose to remain in the race and that he did not revisit the matter with Tinubu afterwards.
“Osinbajo did not step down and I didn’t discuss it with Tinubu thereafter,” he said.
“Osinbajo has every right to contest and he did, and I don’t blame anybody for contesting elections.”
Commenting on claims that Buhari opposed Tinubu’s ambition, Akande said the former president denied such suggestions in their discussions.
“He didn’t tell me so because I put many questions to him,” Akande said.
“He wanted me to see that he was not the one who instigated Osinbajo to contest against Tinubu, and he made it clear that in his own culture, when your mentor is interested in one position, you don’t contest with him, but when Osinbajo came, he was surprised and only wished him well,” he said.
Akande’s account contrasts with claims contained in Buhari’s biography, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammad Buhari, written by Charles Omole.
In the book, Buhari was quoted as saying he did not support Osinbajo’s 2022 presidential ambition because he did not know him personally.
The biography added that Buhari said his relationship with Osinbajo was through Tinubu.