The South-West Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a meeting with aspirants of the party, on Friday, affirmed that the decision of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to contest the presidential seat with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not an act of betrayal.
Shortly after Vice President Osinbajo announced his decision on Monday, April 11, 2022, to run for the Presidency, posters of Osinbajo printed with a “betrayal” inscription began to circulate in public places and on social media, with campaigners saying he had betrayed his former boss, Tinubu, for daring to challenge him to a contest.
Recalled Tinubu had appointed Osinbajo as the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, during his reign as governor of the state between 1999 and 2007.
The uproar that followed generated a lot of concerns in political circles, after which the Tinubu’s media aide, Tunde Rahman, denied those behind the circulation of the calumnious posters said to have been his principal’s supporters through a press statement.
It was the need to douse the tension the decisions of both Osinbajo and Tinubu to contest the coveted seat of the President, being former allies and prominent leaders from the South-West, it was said made the concerned APC leaders South-West APC call for a meeting between them and other aspirants of the party.
It was at this Elders meeting with the Presidential, Governorship and National Assembly aspirants from the zone held Friday night, May 6, 2022, at State Flag House, Marina, Lagos, where all issues were laid to rest.
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The closed-door meeting as reliably gathered ended on a convivial note, as confirmed by an inside source who said: “leaders resolved that every aspirant have rights to contest.”
Besides, the meeting, it was said, also resolved those name callings and other personal attacks should no longer be encouraged by aspirants and their supporters.
It was the inside source who confirmed that “the issue of betrayal was put to rest as the elders affirmed that everyone who desires to run for any political office whatsoever is not encumbered in any way at all.” The leaders and the aspirants all agreed to conduct a rancour-free campaign.
The meeting had been convened by the first Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande and a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, both of whom served as co-conveners.
Present at the meeting were the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi.
Also at the meeting, apart from the aspirants were the former Governor of Lagos State and Works and Housing Minister Mr Babatunde Fashola, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief Niyi Adebayo, Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Governor Oyetola of Osun State.
Others included former Osun State Governor and Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola and the APC National Secretary Otunba Iyiola Omisore.
While commending the Vice President, being the highest-ranking public officer from South-West extraction for a job well done, inside sources disclosed that the APC elders stated categorically that all the aspirants had the right to aspire to be President. But, they enjoined all aspirants to exhibit the ‘Omoluabi’ ethos in their politicking by shunning divisive rhetorics.
While stating that consultations with them would be a continuous exercise, the meeting admonished the aspirants to queue behind whoever amongst them that eventually emerges as the party’s candidate, stating that the cohesion of the South-West must be sacrosanct.
