2023: Support group confirms Osinbajo hasn’t stepped down for Tinubu

The Progressive Consolidation Group (PCG), a political group pushing V.P. Yemi Osinbajo to join the 2023 presidential race insisted their principal has never opted out of the race.

The vice president has yet to declare his intention, though.

According to the group, there was never a time Osinbajo attended a meeting where he renounced his bid to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023—contrary to the rumour he has stepped down.

A report was published last week that the ruling APC is considering a consensus presidential candidate from the southwest where the likely aspirants are Osinbajo and his godfather Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on Sunday by the Chairman of the group, Dr. Aliyu Kurfi, the group said as much as Osinbajo is yet to accede to the calls to contest, the rumoured exit is mischievous.

Kurfi said Osinbajo’s strong focus on his responsibilities, along with a decidedly non-desperate disposition towards the 2023 presidential race, has further energized their support base nationwide.

“Specifically, it must be stated that an outrageous lie that the VP attended any meeting to renounce 2023 presidential ambition or bow to any politician for same, remains an absolute falsehood; how can he renounce what he is even yet to accept or declare?”he said.

“Every well-informed Nigerian knows that PCG is the very first 2023 support group to be formally recognised by our progressive party, APC and we have never sought to prevent or discourage others from following in our footsteps because VP Osinbajo will not subscribe to dirty political games that some typically desperate politicians play,” he added.

Babfemi Ojudu, speaking from the office of the V.P recently, warned supporter groups on both sides flexing muscles to stop creating unnecessary conflict between Tinubu and Osinbajo.