Democracy & Governance
APC Campaign List, End Of The Road For Osinbajo? -By Peter Ojelabi
With the list, the question that keep lingering in the heart of meaningful Nigerian is that, is that the end of the road to political ambition of the vice-president Yemi Osinbajo?. What will be his faith after 2023 general election, if Tinubu is elected? Especially now that he is regarded by the loyalist of the party who are even his kinsmen as ‘Squishing’
It is not a news that All Progressives Congress 2023 presidential campaign list is out. But the exclusion of the incumbent Vice-president of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has left many tongue wagging on what has happened to the relationship between Bola Tinubu and Yemi Osinbajo.
Osinbajo who served as the commissioner for justice under Tinubu as Lagos state governor between 1999 to 2007 and also nominated by the later to be the running mate to Buhari in 2015, contested against his former boss at APC presidential primary election. A situation that makes Tinubu loyalist mostly Yoruba to tag him ‘traitor’ and link him to Akintola of the then western region.
Since then, the relationship between the former and the later has been jeopardized, which they denied countless time. It is to recall that Tinubu visited Osinbajo at the presidential villa after his victory at the primary to foster the relationship among the contestants in the party.
Osinbajo who has so far kept quiet over Tinubu running mate is believed to be stylishly distance himself from APC same faith ticket. An APC source revealed that, the later was contacted before the campaign list was compiled and refused to give his positive response, though not working against the interest of the party and the Yoruba at large but he is not happy with same faith ticket. He said.
But a press release by APC campaign spokesman, Festus Keyamo, suggested otherwise, in a lengthy statement signed by him Keyamo noted that, Osinbajo name was withhold on the President directives, that all the stakeholders of his government can not concentrate on campaign hence left the administrative work undone.
However, Osinbajo and Tinubu have not make any public appearance together after the party primary election; which makes some to question their intimacy and predicted a cold war between the duo. But APC presidential campaign list has justified the claim as Osinbajo and others party chieftain don’t make the list of the committee.
With the list, the question that keep lingering in the heart of meaningful Nigerian is that, is that the end of the road to political ambition of the vice-president Yemi Osinbajo?. What will be his faith after 2023 general election, if Tinubu is elected? Especially now that he is regarded by the loyalist of the party who are even his kinsmen as ‘Squishing’
Former speaker of house of assembly, Hon. Yakubu Dogara also failed to make the list, though make the list but the position given to former governor of rivers state, Rotimi Amechi, senate president, Ahmed Lawal and former governor of Osun State Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola also generate accusations.
Peter Ojelabi writing from Ogbomoso
