- Akande said also stated that Buhari didn’t ask his ex-Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo to contest for the presidency against Tinubu.
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bisi Akande, has opened up on what transpired between in the party build up to the 2023 presidential election.
He disclosed that former President Muhammadu Buhari never opposed the presidential aspiration of president Bola Tinubu.
Akande said also stated that Buhari didn’t ask his ex-Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo to contest for the presidency against Tinubu.
Osinbajo, a long-standing associate of Tinubu and a beneficiary of his cronyism, had contested for the APC’s presidential ticket against Tinubu in 2022 but lost.
Prior to his emergence as Vice President, Osinbajo was said to have been nominated for the role by Tinubu.
While Tinubu was governor of Lagos State, Osinbajo had worked with him as his Attorney General despite coming from Ogun State.
During the build-up to the APC’s presidential primaries, a seeming political rift broke out between Osinbajo and Tinubu over the decision of the former to contest.
However, Akande said Buhari never encouraged Osinbajo to run against Tinubu.
In an interview on Edmund Obilo’s Podcast, State Affairs, Akande disclosed recommending Osinbajo as Vice Presidential candidate to Buhari.
Asked if Buhari opposed Tinubu’s candidacy, Akande said no.
According to Akande: “He didn’t tell me so. I asked him many questions, including whether he instigated Osinbajo to contest against Tinubu.
“He said no and explained that, in his culture, when your mentor is interested in a position, you don’t contest with him.”
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