Controversy Trails Akande’s Account Of Osinbajo’s Emergence As VP

The account of how Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), was chosen in 2015 contained in the new book by the pioneer Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, appears to have elicited a raft of narratives within the ruling party.

It was gathered that contrary to claims in Akande’s book that Osinbajo emerged based on the unreserved endorsement of APC national leader and former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the choice of the incumbent vice president was initially opposed to by Tinubu.

The new narratives followed the account by Akande who, in his book, My Participations, in which he said that Osinbajo received the full and unreserved support of Tinubu support at the time.

In his autobiography, launched in Lagos last week to mark his birthday, Akande said Tinubu was instrumental, all the way, in the eventual selection of Osinbajo.

Akande, who said that Buhari reneged on an agreement to make Tinubu his 2015 running mate over an opposition to a Muslim-Muslim ticket by some party chieftains, noted that Buhari had later requested a list of names from the South West which included Osinbajo.

Akande, who recounted his encounter with Tinubu at the time, quoted the Lagos governor as saying, “I don’t want to be part of whatever you are discussing now, ‘he said. ‘I don’t trust Buhari anymore! Even if we give him names, he may decide to go outside the list. So, let him choose on his own. He was unhappy with Buhari.

“I told him that was not the attitude to adopt. We were trying to toy with some names and I wanted him to participate in the discussion. After some time, Amosun, Aregbesola and I were considering some names. Then I decided to call Tinubu again.

‘We negotiated with Buhari in 2011 and gave him a name to choose instead of Pastor Bakare,’ I spoke to Tinubu on phone. ‘Who was that person?’ l asked.

‘It was Yemi Osinbajo,’ Tinubu declared. I asked Aregbesola to find out where Osinbajo was. He called him on the phone. ‘Yemi, where are you?

‘Don’t you know your case is coming up tomorrow?’ ‘l am in Abuja to argue your case.’ Osinbajo answered at the other end. ‘Which hotel are you staying?” Osinbajo told him.

“I got a blank sheet of paper and wrote Yemi Osinbajo on it. I instructed Amosun and Aregbesola to deliver that note to Buhari immediately. It was almost midnight. Then the two of them left.”

He continued: “I was waiting for Buhari to call me after he must have received my message. He did not. It was Tinubu who came to me at the wee hours of the morning. He was not in a good mood and was worried that Buhari might visit our efforts with bad faith.

“Let us go back to Lagos”, he said. Why? I asked. “Maybe Buhari has his own agenda,” he said. Even if we give him a name , he might not use the person. Maybe he just wants to use us for whatever his agenda might be.”

“I reassured him that Buhari will not disappoint us and that he would agree with our choice as the vice presidential candidate of our party,” Akande said.

However, some APC chieftains conversant with the intrigues surrounding Osinbajo’s emergence as running mate in 2015, said that contary to the claim in Akande’s book, the former Lagos governor was not initially disposed to Osinbajo’s choice.

It was learnt that while some APC national leaders backed Osinbajo for the position in 2015, Tinubu was uncomfortable with the nomination because Osinbajo had initially advised against a “Muslim-Muslim” ticket.

Tinubu’s reluctance reportedly led to a showdown between him and Buhari.

Emerging new details from few party chieftains who witnessed the altercation between Buhari and Tinubu at the latter’s Abuja residence one day to the deadline to pick a running mate confirmed what took place, details that have been largely kept secret since then.

Authoritative sources said that after Buhari had visited the former Lagos Governor to explain why he won’t be able to pick him as the running mate for the 2015 election, the former Governor openly disagreed with the decision of the party candidate.

Buhari had decided that a Muslim-Muslim ticket would not suit the mood of the nation. He then wanted Tinubu to play the lead role in deciding his running mate.

But after an altercation between them, Buhari walked out of the house, upset that Tinubu was still insisting that he had to run with him. Tinubu himself was also deeply upset, arguing that the implications of his political partnership with Buhari all the while was for them to run together.

Akande reportedly shared this view with Tinubu.

We gathered that after Buhari left, Aregbesola prevailed on Tinubu that in the circumstances the party would have to send Osinbajo’s name, to which Tinubu strongly objected, saying that, “Yemi should not benefit” from the rejection of the Muslim-Muslim ticket because he had argued against it.

Tinubu had set up a group, comprising Osinbajo and others, to examine the issue of a running mate, among other matters.

Osinbajo alone took the view that a Muslim-Muslim was not prudent at the time.

We gathered that after the disagreement between Buhari and Tinubu, the former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, also visited Tinubu’s residence after Buhari left.

A US-based Nigerian professor at one of the meetings said, “Truth is that Tinubu’s original support for Osinbajo to run with Buhari was theoretical, the former Lagos State Governor needed to be Buhari’s running mate in 2015 to prepare the ground for his emergence as President after Buhari.”

Another source added that, “When the time came to choose the running mate, Tinubu abandoned all other options and pressed hard to be picked, which was why a decision on the matter could not be taken until the very last minute. It was the reason Buhari visited Tinubu that evening in December 2014.”

The source continued, “Tinubu stated that he would rather support former Labour leader Adams Oshiomhole, of Edo or former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun. But everyone around that night from Chief Bisi Akande, to then Governors Amosun and Aregbesola all opposed these other options, with Aregbesola taking the lead to explain to Tinubu that Osinbajo remains his best bet.

“Taking matters into his own hands but without a firm refusal by Tinubu, Aregbesola, not Amosun, then called Prof. Osinbajo. But it was indeed Amosun that sent the car and took Osinbajo to Buhari that night in Abuja.”

As had been widely reported already in the media since 2014, Osinbajo had no clue of what was happening until Aregbesola called him and Amosun picked him up from his hotel in Abuja to go meet the then APC Presidential candidate who then announced Osinbajo as his running mate without any further revert to Tinubu.

Said one of the sources, “This is why when you ask those close to President Buhari, they will say there were three names, and not just one, because the President was aware of Tinubu’s insistence and another Committee he formed had recommended three people to him including Osinbajo.”

The source said, “I think it is safe to say Asiwaju eventually stopped fighting hard to prevent Osinbajo at that last minute, knowing the deal was already done and because he was certain Osinbajo won’t hurt him.”

Another version of the story widely circulated on social media after Akande’s book was released gave credit to Amosun for making the call to Osinbajo, a claim widely rejected by sources familiar with the inside story.

Aregbesola’s aide who pleaded not to be named, said “We want to focus on the work we are doing in the ministry of interior rather than get involved in the matter at this time.”

Another aide to the minister also said “I will get in touch with my principal and get back to you on this issue.”