PRESIDENT BUHARI PRESENTS BOOK BY PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA TEAM 5; R-L; APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie -Oyegun, APC Chieftain and Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Representatives of Nigerian Judiciary and President Court of Appeal. Justice Abdu Aboki during the presentation of a book by Presidential MEDIA Team at the State House. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE/STATE HOUSE IN Abuja. NOV 16 2017
FeaturedHighlight

Tinubu says ‘not interested’ in being vice president

462

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has no desire to become the vice- president of Nigeria, he said  on Wednesday night.

Tinubu said he and the people of the South-west “have absolute confidence and are exceedingly proud of the excellent job Professor Osinbajo is doing as Vice President of Nigeria”.

The former governor of Lagos was responding to report that he may be picked by President Muhammadu Buhari as his running mate in 2019, saying a report to that effect by SUN newspaper is a “classic case of utterly and irredeemably-fake news”.

SUN in a front page lead story on Wednesday claimed that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was considering returning to full church work and that Tinubu was being mooted as a replacement for him, according to the newspaper, “as a way to have a solid South-west support for the APC, in the face of a South-east/South-south alliance in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”.

“There is no empirical or logical basis for this mischievously speculative story. Is it even conceivable, as the story recklessly insinuates, that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would be considering returning to full church work rather than run with his boss, President Buhari for a second term if the latter so decides without as much as discussing such a sensitive issue with his party and with Asiwaju Tinubu? In any case, is this story not entirely unwarranted and indefensible as the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket has an electoral mandate of four years out of which it has spent only over two years and a half years?

“Contrary to the impression the Sun seeks to create, Asiwaju’s politics is not that of unbridled personal ambition for selfish interest. When at some point in the build up to the 2015 election, President Buhari offered him the Vice –Presidential ticket, Tinubu gratefully and publicly thanked the President. When it turned out that such an offer would not be in the interest of the party and would play into the hands of enemies of change, Asiwaju unreservedly and passionately threw his support behind Osinbajo as the best man for the job. His opinion has not changed. Indeed, his confidence and belief in Osinbajo has been amply justified by the latter’s sterling performance in the office. This attempt to cause disaffection between the duo cannot and will not fly.

“As Asiwaju firmly asserted in a public statement on December 17th 2014 endorsing Professor Osinbajo for the position of running mate to President Buhari “After all the political calculations are made and the dust of competition has settled, it must be this nation and its people who stand first and foremost. The question becomes whether we stand strong, able to shape ourselves into our best future or will we stand frail and trembling, burdened by the abject failure to surmount the multiple problems confronting us…For me, political ambition will never triumph over patriotic conviction.”

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Kanu’s Trial: Judge Warns Lawyer Over Social Media, FG Opposes Live Streaming

The Federal Government has formally written to the court, objecting to the...

Just in: Court Admits Judgment on Military Raid of Kanu’s Home as Evidence

The Federal High Court in Abuja has accepted three judgments as evidence,...

Gateway Games: Osun State Female Football Team Stomps Benue 6-1, Seals Semi-Final Spot

By Samuel Akpan reporting from Ikenne The Osun State female football team...

Gateway Games: Ogun State Swimmer Tobiloba Clinches Historic Gold

By Samuel Akpan in Ikenne, Ogun Omolola Tobiloba Akinsanmi has etched her...

Gateway Games Day 4 : FCT, Akwa Ibom Shine in Ayo Singles

By Samuel Akpan reporting from Ikenne centre The Ayo competition at the...

Gateway Games Day 3: Bayelsa Leads Pack with 6 Gold Medals

By Samuel Akpan live in Abeokuta As the 22nd National Sports Festival...

Insurgency: Boko Haram Has Moles Among Politicians, Military, Alleges Borno Gov. Zulum 

The protracted war against insurgency in Nigeria has taken a disturbing turn,...

Drug Abuse Crisis Alarming, Gripping Nigerian Youth, Small Doctor Cries Out

Worried by the alarming rate of drug abuse among young Nigerians, street-pop...

Gateway Games: NSC to Name and Shame 10 More States Involved in Doping – Olopade

By Samuel Akpan Live in Abeokuta Following Persecondnews’ report on Akwa-Ibom, the...

EFCC Hands Over 753 Forfeited Properties Linked to Emefiele to FG

The 753 housing units in the Abuja housing estate of the former...

External Auditors Cite Legal Constraints for Senate Committee Absence, NNPCL, NAPIMS Not Implicated

The external auditors for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and...

No Need to Panic: Ogun Govt Responds to Tanker Blast at Gateway Games

    Aftermath of a diesel tanker explosion near the Alake Sports...

Food Insecurity: NNPC Foundation Begins 6,000 Farmers’ Training in Ilora, Oyo State

By Samuel Akpan Live in Abeokuta In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at...

CBN Maintains Status Quo: Interest Rate Remains at 27.50%

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee has retained the...

Just In: Police Stray Bullet Claims Life of WASSCE Student in Ibadan

A student heading to take the West African Senior School Certificate Examination...

Just In: TUC Protests Workers’ Poor Welfare at Federal Finance Ministry

Members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria on Tuesday shut...

Day 2 of Gateway Games: Edo Thrash Delta in Cricket Tournament Opener

By Samuel Akpan Live in Abeokuta Edo State got off to a...

Unpatriotic Leaders: Nigeria’s Greatest Challenge, Says Tietie

Frank Tietie, Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights...

Akwa Ibom Doping Scandal: Team Secretary Clarifies – Exclusive

By Samuel Akpan Live from Abeokuta Janet Bassey, the Akwa Ibom State...

Doping Scandal Rocks Gateway Games: Six Athletes Axed

By Samuel Akpan Live in Abeokuta Six athletes facing anti-doping issues have...