• Cites Buhari-era records
• Says Buhari backed Osinbajo’s ambition
• Dismisses alleged memo on 20 staff names
• Insists appointments reflected national spread, not church-based
By Gideon Maxwell
October 17, 2026
Laolu Akande, former spokesperson to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has strongly rejected a series of allegations made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, describing the claims as completely false and contradicted by official government records, insisting that the records of the Buhari administration tell a different story.
Akande dismissed Lawal’s assertions regarding Osinbajo’s 2022 presidential ambition, political staff appointments, board changes, and the ministerial appointment of Okey Enelamah as baseless fabrications designed to distort the documented history of the Buhari administration.
He maintained that public records, official correspondence, and administrative proceedings of the Federal Executive Council thoroughly disprove Lawal’s account of events during his tenure as SGF.
Akande, who served in Osinbajo’s office throughout the period in question, said he was responding because he was personally present during many of the decisions referred to by Lawal and was also a member of the staff whose appointments and composition had been called into question.
In a detailed response titled “Response to Babachir Lawal’s Falsehoods Against Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON”, Akande challenged Lawal’s account on five major issues, namely President Muhammadu Buhari’s attitude towards Osinbajo’s 2022 presidential ambition, the alleged memo containing more than 20 staff names, the religious composition of Osinbajo’s office, the appointment of Dr. Okey Enelamah as a minister and changes made to board nominations while Osinbajo served as Acting President.
Akande said the allegations should be addressed for the sake of historical accuracy.
Buhari supported Osinbajo’s 2022 ambition, Akande says
Akande specifically rejected Lawal’s claim that Buhari considered Osinbajo’s decision to seek the APC presidential ticket in 2022 immoral or inappropriate.
According to Akande, Buhari personally expressed support for Osinbajo’s presidential ambition on at least four separate occasions.
He said Buhari told Osinbajo directly, “If I don’t support you, who will I support?”
Akande said Buhari’s position was also publicly demonstrated during the 2022 APC presidential primary campaign.
He recalled that while the presidential campaigns were ongoing, Buhari commended Osinbajo during a Federal Executive Council meeting for the manner in which he conducted his campaign.
According to him, Buhari specifically praised Osinbajo for conducting what he described as a dignified and issues based campaign across the country.
Akande said the commendation was made openly before members of the Federal Executive Council.
ALSO READ: Aso Villa is Nigeria’s White House, not jinxed, notion baseless — Laolu Akande
He therefore argued that Buhari’s documented conduct was inconsistent with the claim that the former President regarded Osinbajo’s ambition as immoral or distasteful.
“That is not a President who found Osinbajo’s ambition distasteful. That is a President who broached it, encouraged and applauded it,” Akande said.
Akande denies existence of alleged staff memo
Akande also rejected Lawal’s account of an alleged memo containing more than 20 names of staff proposed for appointment by Osinbajo.
Lawal had claimed that Osinbajo prepared the memo, that it was held back by the President’s Chief of Staff and that Lawal eventually took the matter to Buhari.
Akande described the account as a fabrication and said there was no such memo.
He also rejected the attribution to Buhari of an alleged comment referring to the proposed staff as Yorubas.
According to Akande, the alleged statement, “BD, these are all Yorubas”, did not reflect Buhari’s character or the manner in which he dealt with the Vice President’s office.
“Anyone who knew President Buhari knows he does not engage in the kind of snide ethnic profiling Mr Lawal attributed to him,” Akande said.
He added that such language and conduct were alien to Buhari.
How Osinbajo’s staff appointments were processed
Akande provided what he described as the actual procedure through which appointments in the Office of the Vice President were processed.
According to him, Osinbajo had direct access to Buhari and took his memos directly to the President for approval.
Once approved, the memo was passed to Osinbajo’s Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye, who then communicated with the relevant government agencies for implementation.
Akande said the process did not require the SGF, except for the subsequent issuance of appointment letters to staff.
He therefore rejected Lawal’s account that the SGF had been required to intervene in the approval process.
Akande also challenged Lawal’s claim that the alleged memo was delayed for three months.
He said he resumed work in the Office of the Vice President in June 2015, together with several other members of staff whose names, according to him, were now being referenced in Lawal’s account.
“There was no three month delay,” Akande said.
He explained that Osinbajo submitted different batches of memos to Buhari at different times because the Vice President’s office was being established and government policies and operational requirements were evolving.
According to Akande, this was normal administrative procedure and there was never a single large staff list based on religious or ethnic considerations.
Akande says Lawal had already left office when several appointments were made
Akande also drew attention to the timing of the appointments and Lawal’s departure from office.
He noted that a substantial number of the appointments being discussed were made after Lawal had been removed as SGF by Buhari.
ALSO READ: Ojudu says Buhari backed Osinbajo’s presidential ambition, rejects Omole’s account
Akande said Lawal’s removal was carried out by Buhari and not Osinbajo.
He therefore argued that the chronology of events did not support Lawal’s account of having controlled or intervened in the alleged process in the manner described.
Osinbajo’s office was not a church based team, Akande says
Akande further rejected Lawal’s claim that Osinbajo populated his office with people because they were members of his church.
He said the composition of the Office of the Vice President itself disproved the allegation.
According to Akande, the office was one of the most inclusive teams in the Buhari administration, with staff drawn from different parts of Nigeria and from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds.
He pointed to Ade Ipaye, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, as the most senior official in the office.
Akande identified Ipaye as a Muslim and a distinguished lawyer.
He also said three of Osinbajo’s four Special Advisers were Muslims.
They included Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser on Social Investment, Ahmad Zakari, Special Adviser on Infrastructure, and Senator Babafemi Ojudu.
The fourth Special Adviser was Ambassador Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu.
Akande said Maryam Uwais and Ahmad Zakari were Northerners, further challenging the claim that the office was constructed around a narrow religious or regional interest.
Full list of officials cited by Akande
Akande listed a large number of officials who served in different capacities within or around the Office of the Vice President.
They included Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity.
Prof. Balkisu Saidu, Senior Special Assistant on Legal, Research and Compliance.
Ambassador Abdullahi Gwary, Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs.
Emmanuel Bright, Senior Special Assistant on Economic Management.
Edobor Iyamu, Senior Special Assistant on Economic Affairs.
Ismaeel Ahmed, Senior Special Assistant on Social Investment.
Olayinka Oyeneyin, Senior Special Assistant on Project Management.
Fadi Rose Audu, Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs.
Imeh Patience Okon, Senior Special Assistant on Infrastructure.
Lillian Idiaghe, Special Adviser on Legal Affairs.
Arukaino Umukoro, Special Adviser on Communication Projects.
Daniel Ikuenobe, Special Adviser on ERGP.
Folarin Alayande, Special Adviser on ERGP.
Dr Effiong Essien, Special Adviser on ERGP.
Olaolu Beckley, Special Adviser on Documentation.
Abdulrahman Baffa, Special Adviser on Political Affairs.
Rotimi Akinnadeju, Special Adviser on Media.
Novo Isioro, Special Adviser on Visual Communication.
Feyishayo Aina, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications.
Gambo Manzo, Personal Assistant on Political Affairs.
Hafiz Ibrahim, Senior Special Assistant.
Nonye Ojekwe, Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement.
Dr Nicholas Audifferen, Senior Special Assistant and Personal Physician to the Vice President.
Ayoleke Adu, Senior Special Assistant on Economic Affairs.
Ajuri Ngelale, Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs.
Louis Odion, Special Technical Adviser on Print Media.
Foluso Idumu, Senior Special Assistant on Administration.
Edewede Akhidenor.
Lanre Osibona, Senior Special Assistant on ICT.
Tolani Alli, Special Adviser on Media.
Tola Asekun, Senior Special Assistant on Budget.
Damilola Ogunbiyi, Senior Special Assistant on Power.
Mariam Masha, Senior Special Assistant on IDPs.
Chiedu Ugbo, Senior Special Assistant on Power Privatisation.
Jumoke Oduwole, Senior Special Assistant on Trade and Investment.
Muktar Tijani, Special Adviser on Power.
Tochi Nwachukwu, Special Adviser on Power Privatisation.
Mohammed Brimah, Special Adviser on IDPs.
Yahaya Maibe, Special Adviser on Social Investments.
Jibola Ajayi, Special Adviser on BPE.
Ife Adebayo, Special Adviser on Innovation.
Myani Bukar, Senior Special Assistant on Legal Affairs.
Nkoli Anyaoku, Special Adviser.
Phil Obin, Technical Adviser on New Media.
Lillian Chukwueke, Special Adviser on Legal Affairs.
Akande said the list, together with the senior appointments at the top of the office, demonstrated the broad regional, religious and professional composition of Osinbajo’s team.
“This was a truly national team. It was never a church list,” he said.
Akande explains Okey Enelamah’s appointment
Akande also addressed Lawal’s claim concerning Dr Okey Enelamah, who served as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment under Buhari.
Lawal had reportedly linked Enelamah’s appointment to his relationship with Osinbajo and claimed that Enelamah had taken over Osinbajo’s parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Akande rejected the claim that Osinbajo was responsible for Enelamah’s appointment as minister.
He said Enelamah was, at the time of his appointment, the head of one of Africa’s largest private equity firms.
According to Akande, Enelamah’s name was proposed by two individuals in the financial services industry.
He said it was the late Abba Kyari, who was Buhari’s Chief of Staff, who subsequently informed Osinbajo that Buhari wanted to appoint Enelamah.
Akande said Enelamah, who is alive, could personally confirm the account.
He explained that he remembered the circumstances because there had been speculation at the time that Osinbajo had nominated Enelamah.
Akande said he had personally asked Osinbajo about the matter.
According to him, Osinbajo told him that Kyari had informed him that Buhari had decided to appoint Enelamah.
Akande said he had initially assumed that Osinbajo must have nominated Enelamah because of their closeness.
“He did not,” Akande said.
Board appointments were based on legal requirements, Akande says
Akande also defended changes made to lists of board nominees during periods when Osinbajo served as Acting President.
He said Osinbajo was constitutionally required to review board nomination lists before they were transmitted for confirmation.
According to Akande, where changes were made, they were based strictly on statutory and professional requirements.
He identified federal character, age, qualifications and professional requirements as the grounds on which corrections could be made.
Akande said the changes were therefore not driven by Osinbajo’s personal preferences.
He also said Buhari was fully briefed about the changes after returning from periods in which Osinbajo served as Acting President.
According to Akande, Buhari had no objection to the corrections.
“Due process, not personal preference, guided those decisions,” he said.
Akande links Lawal’s claims to his removal as SGF
In the concluding section of his response, Akande acknowledged Lawal’s removal from office as SGF and suggested that the former SGF’s experience could be relevant to his current criticism of Osinbajo.
Akande said Lawal might still be affected by what he described as the pain of his removal from office.
He recalled that before Buhari asked Osinbajo to chair the investigation into allegations against Lawal, the Senate and the Attorney General had already indicted Lawal on the same allegations.
Akande also claimed that Lawal himself inadvertently supplied evidence that implicated him before the investigative panel.
He said the circumstances surrounding Lawal’s removal could not, however, justify what he described as the manufacture of false allegations against Osinbajo.
‘Personal grievance cannot justify manufacture of falsehoods’
Akande concluded by defending Osinbajo’s record during the eight years he served as Buhari’s Vice President.
He said Osinbajo served Buhari loyally throughout the administration and maintained an office that reflected the diversity of Nigeria.
“Prof. Osinbajo served President Buhari loyally for eight years, without blemish, with an inclusive team that reflected the best of Nigeria,” Akande said.
He maintained that the allegations made by Lawal could be tested against official records and the recollections of people who were directly involved in the administration.
“The records are there for anyone who cares to check,” he said.
The response therefore places the dispute between Lawal and Osinbajo squarely around competing accounts of events within the Buhari administration, with Akande relying on his first hand experience as a member of Osinbajo’s staff to dispute Lawal’s claims about presidential succession, staff appointments, religious representation, ministerial appointments and board nominations.
