Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has dismissed claims that he sent a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari seeking his permission to resign his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This is coming at a time controversy is raving over the issue of Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2023 general poll.
Osinbajo had contested the APC presidential ticket with 12 others but lost to national leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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Tinubu, a Muslim from the South West, has picked a former governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, also a Muslim, from the North East as his running mate.
Amidst the unfolding drama, a memo is said to have been written from Osinbajo’s office and sent to President Buhari seeking permission to resign his membership of the APC.
The memo dated June 24, 2022 with reference number SH/VP/605/2./0 listed among others, alleged family pressure, his (Osinbajo) continuous participation in active and partisan politics and membership of the APC as the reasons for the decision.
But the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, when asked to confirm the authenticity of the said memo, described it as fake.
He said the language of the author of the memo is not that of Vice President Osinbajo, adding that his boss would not write a memo so full of errors.
“Where do you people even get these things from? Who gave it to you? Anyway, for the avoidance of doubt, the memo is fake. VP didn’t write any such thing,” he said.
The memo titled, ‘Permission to resign from APC’, and purportedly signed by Vice President Osinbajo read, “I have the honour to inform you that for sometime now, I have been having series of meetings and pressure from my immediate family members on some matters.
“One of the issues borders on my continuous participation on active and partisan politics, and by extension, my continuous membership of our great party, APC.
“As a father and great member, whom without you, I would not be where I am today, regrettably, I write to seek for (sic) your permission to resign my membership of the APC.
“However, if the timing of this plan is not convenience (sic) or acceptable by Your Excellency, I will surely abide by your decision and advice, which I will consider to be the final.
“Please accept the assurances of my highest regards and loyalty.”
