Laolu Akande, a former spokesperson to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has disputed claims that the late President Muhammadu Buhari considered Osinbajo’s 2022 presidential ambition inappropriate, insisting that Buhari offered to support his bid on at least four occasions.
Akande said Buhari encouraged Osinbajo to seek the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket and publicly commended the way he conducted his campaign.
His account contradicts remarks by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who claimed that Buhari would have considered it immoral and distasteful for Osinbajo to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
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Lawal argued that Buhari valued loyalty and would likely have disapproved of Osinbajo contesting against Tinubu, whom he credited with helping Osinbajo become vice-president in 2015.
However, Akande rejected that interpretation in a statement issued on Saturday titled, “A Response to Mr Babachir Lawal’s Falsehoods Against Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.”
According to Akande, Buhari personally expressed his willingness to support Osinbajo’s presidential ambition on at least four separate occasions.
“On at least four separate occasions, President Buhari personally offered to support the Vice President, telling him plainly: ‘If I don’t support you, who will I support?’” Akande said.
He also recalled an incident during a Federal Executive Council meeting in 2022, when Buhari reportedly praised Osinbajo’s conduct during the APC presidential campaign.
Akande said Buhari commended the former vice-president for running a dignified, issue-based campaign across the country, adding that members of the council witnessed the remarks.
“He spoke in a laudatory tone. The entire Council witnessed it,” he said.
Akande maintained that Buhari’s reported statements and actions did not support the suggestion that he disapproved of Osinbajo’s presidential ambition.
“That is not a President who found Osinbajo’s ambition distasteful. That is a President who broached it, encouraged and applauded it,” he added.
Lawal had maintained that Osinbajo’s decision to challenge Tinubu amounted to a breach of loyalty, given Tinubu’s role in his emergence as vice-president under the Buhari administration in 2015.
However, Lawal acknowledged that he never discussed Buhari’s alleged reservations directly with the former president. He said his position was based on his understanding of Buhari’s character, conduct and body language.
Akande countered that his experience working in the Office of the Vice President provided him with direct knowledge of the relationship between Buhari and Osinbajo. He urged people to consider the events he witnessed during their time in government when assessing the allegations.
The former spokesperson also dismissed Lawal’s separate claims that Osinbajo’s appointments were influenced by ethnic and religious considerations, describing the allegations as fabricated.
Akande insisted that Osinbajo remained loyal to Buhari throughout their eight years in office and assembled a team that reflected Nigeria’s diversity.
“Prof. Osinbajo served President Buhari loyally for eight years, without blemish, with an inclusive team that reflected the best of Nigeria,” he said.
“The records are there for anyone who cares to check.”
Osinbajo served as vice-president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. He contested the APC presidential ticket in 2022 but lost the party’s primary to Tinubu, who went on to win the 2023 presidential election.
