He was the poster boy of efficiency, commitment, honesty and loyalty. The exemplary and humble lifestyle of the star boy of the team was well spoken of. It was almost as if he had no stain since he joined the murky waters of politics.
But all that changed with a 6-minute, 54-second video released on April 11 on the social media by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, announcing his intention to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
His declaration ended months of speculation over his interest in the presidential race, thereby putting him in direct confrontation with his former boss in Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who declared his intention earlier in the year.
He has been likened to Judas Iscariot, the biblical character who betrayed his master, Jesus Christ. The depreciation of the Naira, inflation and other economic woes of the Buhari administration have been laid on him as the chairman of the National Economic Council.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, where Osinbajo was once regarded as one of its leaders by virtue of his office as a former attorney-general of the state and vice president of the country, described the professor of law as a pawn on the chessboard, who is incapable of winning his polling unit.
“At a time, l thought I was listening to a dirge until I realised that it was a political declaration in a living room. Nigerians will have something to say about the scorecard in the fullness of time. The last time I checked, the vice president was in charge of the economy,” commented Seye Oladejo, the spokesperson of the APC in Lagos on the declaration by Osinbajo.
By now, Osinbajo must have learnt that his major hurdles to the presidency will come from his erstwhile political family built by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Little wonder, he relocated his political base to Ogun State.
Except by providence, picking the ticket of the party will be a herculean task, especially if the pastor-turned politician is unable to wash off some of the mud targeted at him.
Did Osinbajo betray Tinubu by his declaration to run for the office of the president? Is he a traitor? The answer varies, depending on who you ask. But to most supporters and followers of Tinubu, the vice president is guilty of the abominable act of betrayal. They expected him to have shelved his ambition in honour of the man they claimed made him by first appointing him as a commissioner in 1999 and then nominating him as vice president during the 2015 elections.
Tinubu also denounced the vice president as a political godson, noting that he had no son old enough to challenge him for the APC presidential ticket.
However, the handlers of Osinbajo have maintained that the former university lecturer didn’t betray Tinubu, stressing that he heeded the calls of Nigerians.
Amid claims of betraying his alleged godfather, Osinbajo, at a political meeting in his home state, Ogun, said he owed no single individual any allegiance outside his oath of office and the allegiance he swore to Nigerians in 2015.
“After all I have learnt, if called upon to serve the nation, should I say no? I have decided that I will run for office.
“I have sworn an oath to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is an oath to our people, our children, and the future of Nigeria. I owe nobody else any allegiance outside the oath,” he said
Since he took office in 2015, President Buhari has had to fight back accusations of bias in his appointments, but in recent times, Prof Osinbajo has come under the spotlight amid allegations of bias against Muslims.
Leading the argument is a Nigerian-American professor, Farooq Kperogi, who accused the vice president of religious bigotry, noting that Osinbajo’s major appointments are limited to members of his Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) group.
This accusation forced the office of the vice president to release a video detailing 16 Muslim appointees working with Professor Osinbajo.
Have Osinbajo and his handlers done enough to fault this claim and prove that he is committed to building “a Nigeria where all are treated fairly, justly and with respect; where all are given equal access to the abundant opportunities that God has bestowed on this nation,” in accordance with his declaration speech?
If given the ticket, can Osinbajo get a strong northern Muslim to counter this narrative as the opposition is expected to revive it in the build-up to the main elections.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria should expect more allegations and attacks in the coming days.
Definitely, this is the time for Osinbajo to bring to the fore, his acclaimed ebullient spirit and ability to maintain uncommon composure in the face of threats and barrage of attacks.
Related to this is the clamour by some Islamic bodies that a southern Muslim should be presented for the 2023 presidential election. Their argument is based on the claim that only Christians from the South have been elected presidents.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), which called for a Yoruba Muslim to be presented, argued that no Muslim from the South West has occupied Aso Rock, either as president or vice president since independence in 1960.
Also, there is no doubt that Osinbajo is more of a technocrat than a politician. Among aspirants in the APC, he seems to have one of the weakest political structures despite occupying the highest position among the contenders. He also does not command the Buhari cult-like followership.
The lack of experience and tact of his campaign team was evidenced in the way it handled the bigotry allegation.
His weak political structure is expected to affect his chances of getting majority of votes from delegates from his zone – South West. However, a constitution lawyer, Dr Kayode Ajulo, argued that Osinbajo is the most credible, experienced, capable and most sellable aspirant who has all it takes to convincingly win an election with Nigeria as his single constituency, adding that his acceptability transcends religious, tribal and political lines.
Osinbajo’s greatest asset in emerging as the candidate of his party is also likely his biggest challenge in winning the election. Without President Buhari’s support and endorsement, Osinbajo can forget about the May 30/June 1 primary. However, he will also have to campaign on the strength of continuity, thereby defending the policies and programmes of the Buhari administration.
Many faulted his declaration that if given the opportunity he would complete what the Buhari administration started. Critics on the social media were quick to point out some of the ‘ills’ of the administration, especially in the area of security and economy. Osinbajo should expect questions to be asked about the perceived failure of the current administration, especially his role in it.
If he gets the endorsement of President Buhari and the presidential ticket of the APC, Osinbajo would have fences to mend, especially with his former political godfather, Asiwaju Tinubu in order to win the election.
There are followers of Asiwaju who believe that if denied the ticket, the former Lagos State governor should rather work for another candidate instead of supporting Osinbajo to become president. Osinbajo can’t afford this. He would need to put on his persuasive and negotiating power to broker peace with Asiwaju and his camp.
