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Presidency 2023: Ojodu cries out over ‘plot’ to ‘create’ crack between Osinbajo, Tinubu
The Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President,Office of the Vice President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, on Monday cries out over perceived plot to cause crack divisive politics in the southwest and create dispute between the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the race for the 2023 presidential ticket of the ruling APC for the general elections. Ojodu decried the pairing of representatives of the Tinubu campaign team and Osinbajo’s campaign for discussions on Channels Television on Monday, as well as Daily Independent publication of same feature.
The S.A. to the President stated that the Vice President and his office are not aware of the campaign group or endorse the divisive engagement and news reports. Ojodu said that Tinubu and Osinbajo are members of same the party. He added that the VP regards Tinubu as a respected leader.
Ojodu in a statement on Monday declared: “My attention has been drawn to a media engagement on Channels TV this morning and a front-page story of Daily Independent today.
“On the Channels TV Sunrise programme, two persons supposedly representing Asiwaju Support Group and Osinbajo Support Group were pitched against each other.
“On the other hand, Daily Independent ran a headline thus:
“2023 Presidency: Osinbajo On A Collision Course With Tinubu, Pushes To Succeed Buhari.”
Ojodu declared that it is incumbent on him to state emphatically that “neither the Vice President nor his office is aware of this or endorse this kind of a divisive engagement and news reports.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are members of same party. “Osinbajo regards Tinubu as a respected leader of a political family to which he belongs and will, therefore, not for any reason endorse an endeavor that seeks to pitch them against each other.”
Ojodu further stated: “We are not unaware of some people who may want to foist a crack among our leaders.
“Such an attempt is abortive. Osinbajo and Tinubu’s relationship dates way back and it shall continue to wax strong.
“Let me therefore call on individuals and media houses engaged in this act to desist from doing so.
“The APC remains one single, indivisible party and Osinbajo remains a loyal member of the party who respects both the party structure as well as its leadership.”
Ojodu added that the INEC has not given a go ahead yet for politicking towards 2023.
“As a law-abiding citizen, Osinbajo will not commence any act in this regard until INEC blows the whistle, and in any case the VP has not indicated interest in the 2023 elections,” Ojodu said.
He asserted the while appreciating individuals who are clamoring for Osinbajo to contest for the president in 2023, the VP office, however, wants to plead that they should not draw Osinbajo or allow themselves into an unnecessary and precipitous controversy.
“We welcome our great leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, back into the country. As a great democrat himself, he will certainly welcome politics without bitterness and divisiveness. We wish him good health, long life and prosperity,” Babafemi Ojodu declared.
However, Ojodu did not say anything about the next move of the vice president or his office to stop people from mobilizing support for him or engaging the public in image management of Prof. Osinbajo for the 2023 presidential race on the platform of the APC.