Oluwafemi Popoola
Aenator Babafemi Ojudu, the special adviser to the president on political matters and a former senator has stated why he won’t support the 2023 presidential ambition of the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
He further clarified that the former Lagos state governor was not responsible for his limelight debunking several online reports that Tinubu was responsible for his prominence. He said he had become successful in journalism business by being a successful publisher before his encounter with Tinubu.
He disclosed this in a statement titled, “Principled Political Choices are not Betrayal,” which he released on Tuesday.
While noting that Tinubu remains his leader and he would forever cherish him and the contributions he made to his news organisation during their fight against the military, Ojudu said, “I don’t follow the herd. I make my choices based on very rigid parameters. He (Tinubu) will tell you I am very Independent in my actions and ways.
The former Senator informed that, even as a third year university student, he, on political grounds disagreed with his farther, whom he said chose to be in the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), and for this, Ojudu said he never considered the fact that his father fed him and paid his school fees to join him in a party he despised. Rather, according to him, he went to join the opposition, the United Party of Nigeria (UPN), and became a youth leader.
He said, “Tinubu will tell you that whatever and whoever Ojudu is committed to is in for 100 per cent commitment. Reasons I did rather faced torture and possible death in General Sani Abacha’s detention than reveal certain things they wanted me to reveal about him.”
Recall that Babafemi Ojudu who works in the Office of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, had released similar statement on his Facebook wall barely a week ago when he narrated how 40 Nigerians of substance from across the country made an unscheduled visit to his office with the gospel of Osinbajo 2023 Presidency in their mouths seeking to know if the Vice President would contest the 2023 Presidential election.
The former lawyer, in the post, however, promised he would take their question to Osinbajo and bring them an answer.
But reacting to comments he said he had been inundated with via phone calls, physical interactions and through other means, in his latest post, Ojudu said: “The idea that everyone who has related with Tinubu and disagrees with him on this Presidential bid is a traitor and a betrayal is puerile. Many of us, his associates, were not made by him as you also want the world to believe.
“We were already made before meeting him and in the cause of relating we gave one another a helping hand. As far back as 1992 when I came to know him I was already one of the editors of a popular news magazine with a good standing too in the civil society.”
The presidential aide while commenting on Tinubu’s presidential ambition said he wished him well and he would not support his ambition in good conscience before he later called out Tinubu ‘irritant’ supporters who had been sending threat messages to him and his family.
“On this matter of 2023 I wish him well but I cannot in good conscience give him my support or cast my vote for him in the coming primary. It is my right. I am above 60 years of age for God sake. I almost died seeking this inalienable democratic rights, held up in detention and severally tortured. Your god is not my god.
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“Let no one think he can browbeat or blackmail me to do what does not go with my conscience or my ideals. Enough of your phone threats and embarrassment of my family members.”
“I know Tinubu. I respect and adore him. Many of his latter day supporters do not even know him. If they do, they won’t resort to emotional and physical blackmail. When Tinubu decided to go against Afenifere and the Yoruba elders in 2003 by not supporting President Olusegun Obasanjo, he wasn’t betraying the Yoruba nation or a traitor to Afenifere. He made a choice and history has been his judge. Let history be my own judge too. When he supported Chief Olu Falae against Chief Bola Ige, our respected leader, who for him to emerge candidate of Alliance for Democracy in Lagos, no one shouted betrayal.
“For the irritants who have been sending threat messages or calling to abuse me for not supporting Tinubu, do know that is not democracy. It is something else. I spent my youth years fighting autocracy and intolerance of the military and I am still willing and ready, even now, to stand up for what I believe , even if it will cost me my death. Enough said.”, he concluded.
Ojudu’s full statement reproduced below:
Principled Political Choices Are Not Betrayal
I have seen a statement made by me, many years ago, to celebrate the 60th birthday anniversary of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu making the rounds. Yes I did make that statement. And more of such will come in my autobiography. We, together, have seen good days and bad days.
I and Bola Tinubu have come a long way and we have been there for each other. So let no one use my acknowledgment of his good deeds and my refusal not to support him in his bid for Nigeria presidency to portray me as a betrayer.
Tinubu remains my leader and I will forever cherish him and the contributions he made to my Organisation during our fight against the military.
He however knows I don’t follow the herd. I make my choices based on very rigid parameters. He will tell you I am very Independent in my actions and ways.
As a third year university student my dad chose to be in NPN. I never considered the fact that he fed me and paid my school fees to join him in a party I despised. I went to UPN and became a youth leader.
Tinubu will tell you that whatever and whoever Ojudu is committed to is in for 100 percent commitment. Reasons I did rather faced torture and possible death in General Sani Abacha’s detention than reveal certain things they wanted me to reveal about him.
The idea that everyone who has related with Tinubu and disagrees with him on this Presidential bid is a traitor and a betrayal is puerile. Many of us, his associates, were not made by him as you also want the world to believe.
We were already made before meeting him and in the cause of relating we gave one another a helping hand. As far back as 1992 when I came to know him I was already one of the editors of a popular news magazine with a good standing too in the civil society. I walked out of my job when our billionaire publisher (Chief MKO Abiola) requested I and my colleagues to apologize to General Ibrahim Babangida over a story critical of the regime. That was 1992.
When I left that job, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, a man whom I was indebted to greatly (gave me a scholarship in my school days alongside King Sunny Ade) invested in my publishing platform (The News, publisher of PM news). The same one that was consequential in the battle to bring democracy back to Nigeria.
At the conclusion of that struggle, Chief Fawehinmi insisted we seat out politics. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu disagreed with this notion, and I did as well. Against an obvious choice to blind loyalty, I went along with Senator Tinubu even serving severally in critical roles as he assumed the Governorship position. My actions angered Chief Gani so much he asked that I repay his investments. Guess what? I gladly did.
So if my principled stance against NPN, against IBB and against “siddon look” was not betrayal of my father, Chief MKO Abiola and Chief Gani Fawehinmi respectively, why would my principled stance against our leader present ambition be.?
So, on this matter of 2023 I wish him well but I cannot in good conscience give him my support or cast my vote for him in the coming primary. It is my right. I am above 60 years of age for God sake. I almost died seeking this inalienable democratic rights, held up in detention and severally tortured. Your god is not my god.
Let no one think he can browbeat or blackmail me to do what does not go with my conscience or my ideals. Enough of your phone threats and embarrassment of my family members.
I know Tinubu. I respect and adore him. Many of his latter day supporters do not even know him. If they do, they won’t resort to emotional and physical blackmail. When Tinubu decided to go against Afenifere and the Yoruba elders in 2003 by not supporting President Olusegun Obasanjo, he wasn’t betraying the Yoruba nation or a traitor to Afenifere. He made a choice and history has been his judge. Let history be my own judge too. When he supported Chief Olu Falae against Chief Bola Ige , our respected leader, who for him to emerge candidate of Alliance for Democracy in Lagos, no one shouted betrayal.
For the irritants who have been sending threat messages or calling to abuse me for not supporting Tinubu, do know that is not democracy. It is something else. I spent my youth years fighting autocracy and intolerance of the military and I am still willing and ready, even now, to stand up for what I believe , even if it will cost me my death. Enough said.
