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Bisi Akande says Muhammadu Buhari denied instigating Yemi Osinbajo to contest against Bola Tinubu in 2022.
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Akande insists Osinbajo had the right to contest and should not be blamed for refusing to step down.
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He maintains that Buhari was surprised by Osinbajo’s ambition but did not oppose Tinubu.
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, has revealed that late former President Muhammadu Buhari denied encouraging former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to contest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the party’s 2022 presidential primaries.
Akande disclosed this while speaking on Edmund Obilo’s podcast, State Affairs, where he addressed speculations surrounding internal party politics ahead of the APC primary election.
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During the 2022 APC presidential primary, Tinubu emerged as the party’s flagbearer, while Osinbajo finished a distant third. Osinbajo is widely regarded as Tinubu’s political protégé, having served as Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Lagos State during Tinubu’s tenure as governor.
There have also been long-standing claims that Tinubu played a significant role in Osinbajo’s emergence as vice president under Buhari’s administration.
However, Akande said Osinbajo’s decision to contest should not be viewed as betrayal, stressing that every qualified party member had the right to seek the ticket.
“I wanted everyone to be free to contest, but without bitterness,” Akande said. “My desire was for them to focus on issues, not personal attacks, because in the end I wanted one of them to emerge. Above all, I wanted a Yoruba president.”
Speaking on efforts to persuade aspirants to step down for Tinubu, Akande explained that he encouraged consensus but insisted it must be voluntary.
“After several meetings, I told them that we wanted only one candidate and that anyone willing should step down voluntarily,” he said.
He added that Osinbajo exercised his constitutional right to contest and should not be faulted for it.
“Osinbajo had every right to contest, and he did. I don’t blame anyone for contesting an election,” Akande stated.
Addressing claims that Buhari was opposed to Tinubu, Akande said the former president made it clear to him that he neither instigated Osinbajo nor worked against Tinubu.
“I asked Buhari many questions,” Akande said. “He wanted me to understand that he did not encourage Osinbajo to contest. In his culture, if your mentor is interested in a position, you don’t contest against him.”
According to Akande, Buhari was reportedly surprised when Osinbajo declared his ambition but chose to wish him well rather than interfere.
Akande’s account appears to contrast with claims contained in Buhari’s biography, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr Charles Omole, which suggested that Buhari did not support Osinbajo’s presidential ambition because he barely knew him.
The book reportedly quoted Buhari as saying his knowledge of Osinbajo came primarily through Tinubu.
