Why Osinbajo Contested Against Tinubu – Bisi Akande

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bisi Akande, has debunked claims that the late former President, Muhammadu Buhari, instigated ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to contest the 2023 presidential election against the incumbent President, Bola Tinubu.

Naija News reports that Osinbajo is widely believed to be a political protege of Tinubu, having served under him as Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General during his tenure as governor of Lagos State.

There were also speculations that Tinubu was instrumental in Osinbajo’s emergence as Vice President to Buhari.

However, Osinbajo stirred political discussion after participating in the APC primary election in 2022 and refused to step down for Tinubu. While Tinubu emerged as the party’s flagbearer, Osinbajo came a distant third.

During an interview on Edmund Obilo’s podcast, State Affairs, Akande said Osinbajo never stepped down for Tinubu because it was his right to contest in the primary election.

He said, “I wanted everybody to be free to contest the election but I don’t want bitterness, I wanted them to talk on issues and not one to destroy another because I wanted one of them to emerge in the end, I wanted a Yoruba President.

“After several meetings, I told them we want only one and I want any of you to voluntarily step down. On the evening of the primary, some came to me that they were going to step down and they stepped down, it wasn’t too late.

“Osinbajo did not step down and I didn’t discuss it with Tinubu thereafter. Osinbajo has every right to contest and he did and I don’t blame anybody for contesting elections.”

Akande further dismissed insinuation that Buhari was against Tinubu, he added, “He (Buhari) didn’t tell me so because I put many questions to him, he wanted me to see that he was not the one who instigated Osinbajo to contest against Tinubu and he made it clear that in his own culture when your mentor is interested in one position, you don’t contest with him but when Osinbajo came he was surprised and only wished him well.”