“I regret introducing Osinbajo to Tinubu”

Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation’s spokesman Bayo Onanuga has revealed how he introduced Yemi Osinbajo to the APC national leader years ago, the claim Osinbajo’s campaign spokesman Babafemi Ojudu made in an interview with Y Naija recently..

Onanuga and Ojudu were editors at defunct The News Magazine

But Onanuga is regretting his action, particularly the move that blocked Bayo Oriola.

In a statement on Monday,  Onanuga said Osinbajo was a lecturer in 1999 when Tinubu was putting his cabinet together in the presence of Otunba Gbenga Daniel (later Governor of Ogun State) and Dele Alake (later Lagos Commissioner for Information).

Accoring to him, Tinubu had written down the name of Bayo Oriola as the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Lagos State when he asked Tinubu to nominate his bosom friend, Osinbajo, instead.

“Looking back now, did I regret what I did in January 1999? Yes, I would say I have some regret, especially since my action hurt Bayo Oriola; and my apology to Oriola once again. I could not have foreseen today’s turn of events between Tinubu and Osinbajo, who I nominated to be justice commissioner,” Onanuga said.

He said when he nominated Osinbajo and spoke highly of him, Tinubu was eager to meet him and asked him (Onanuga) to invite him over.

“After the meeting, I went to Osinbajo’s house in Ogudu to invite him to meet the new governor, Bola Tinubu. I remember entering the apartment from the kitchen. The wife was there when I delivered the message and left the house with him, later.

“I have never published this story before and hereby want to apologise to my namesake Bayo Oriola, for blocking what should have rightly been his entitlement, going by the role he played during the campaign. I hope Oriola would have the heart to forgive me,” Onanuga stated.

He said that Alake, who was a classmate of Osinbajo and Babatunde Fowler (later Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service) at Igbobi College Lagos, also put in a word for Osinbajo to be nominated as the justice commissioner.

After eight years, Osinbajo returned to lecturing, and Tinubu would later nominated him as the running mate President Muhammadu Buhari.

Osinbajo is now confronting Tinubu for the APC presidential primary primary ticket.