2023: Osinbajo group clashes with Tinubu, says it won’t support APC leader

A group canvassing support for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential ambition has lambasted the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu.

On Sunday, the Osinbajo support group declared that Tinubu should embrace the fact that Nigeria is not for sale.

The pro-Osinbajo group had just concluded a two-day marathon meeting at the ancient city of Kano State. 

The group similarly dissociated itself from any agreement from any quarter that might secretly favour Tinubu for the plum job in 2023.

Karu Simon Elisha who spoke on behalf of the group said “On the issue of negotiation, it could be a previous practice but presently Nigeria is not for sale.”

The fiery federal Mp declared “We say no to any agreement prior to this generation. This generation must decide who lead them and not those who decide their future behind them.” 

He, therefore, called on “Prof Osinbajo to yield our call to vie for the president. We know his competence and capability and we are waiting for him to decide.”

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A few days ago, an unnamed aide to Osinbajo said his boss would not abandon his interest to contest the 2023 presidential election because of the declaration by Tinubu, ex-governor of Lagos State.

Tinubu had last Monday announced that he had informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his interest to vie for the country’s presidency.

The development had elicited several reactions, with many claiming such a move would mark the end of Osinbajo’s interest in the same office.

But speaking, the vice-president’s aide, said his principal is “very much inter­ested in vying for the number one office in the country.”

He, however, said unlike Tinubu, the APC national leader who went to Buhari to in­form him of his intention to contest for the presidency in 2023, Osinbajo was waiting for di­rectives from President Buhari, who is the leader of the APC, on the way forward for the 2023 presidential election.

The aide said the vice pres­ident enjoys a lot of goodwill from Nigerians who believe that he is the best candidate who can sustain the legacies of the present administration and even do things better.

He said those claiming that Tinubu beat Osinbajo by declaring for the presidency were wrong because “the vice president has no declaration to make unless authorised by the president.”

He said, “The vice president is very much interested in contest­ing. From what we have seen, many Nigerians, including key figures in the political and corporate world, believe that he is the best to succeed President Buhari.

“I know the impression many people have is that be­cause his benefactor, Tinubu has declared interest to run, the vice president will perish his ambition. But that is not true. The vice president will contest but he will not jump the gun.

“Right now, he is waiting for directives from President Muhammadu Buhari. If in­deed the president wants him as his successor and gives him his blessings to contest so as to continue with the programmes of the administration, he will not turn down the request.”