Contrary to the claim in President Muhammadu Buhari’s
biography that chose Osinbajo above Tinubu and his
successor at the Lagos State House, Babatunde Fashola,
facts has revealed that Mr Tinubu turned down Buhari’s
offer to be his running mate.
The APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on
December 17, 2014, issued a statement turning down the
offer.
“It is against this backdrop that I assess any action I
take. Here I come to my name being placed in
consideration as the Vice Presidential candidate for our
party, the APC. I have laboured hard to move this party
from being merely an idea in the minds of a few into being
a political organisation that might win this election and
govern the nation in way that gives the people the hope
and opportunity they seek. Nothing is more important to
me than to realise this dream not for myself but for the
people of this land I so love.
“I helped to build this party, giving no thought to seeking
an elected office because of it. My contribution to the
party was never based on the expectation of a later
political handout. Nigeria is in trouble and we are well past
the moment for such narrow, selfish games.
“There came a time during the course of the events when
our Presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari
offered the Vice Presidential slot to me. Being a normal
human being, I was deeply moved and honoured that he
would consider me for the position. Being a patriot, I had
to weigh my potential candidacy in all of its dimensions.
“I have concluded that the interest of the party, our
campaign and of the nation are better served if I retain my
position as the National leader of the APC, allowing me to
be a bridge builder across all divides. Although, I declined
the position, I want to thank Gen. Buhari for extending the
honour to me. Despite all the noise and opposition around
my possible selection, he stood firm and steadfast. He
showed the traits of a leader in holding to a decision he
believed was right despite the errant plots against it,” Bola
Tinubu said.
In the same vein, a retired general, Iliyasu Ibrahim, has
faulted a report that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo became
President Muhamamdu Buhari’s running mate despite
pressure against it by former Lagos State Governor
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ibrahim, in a statement published in The Nation newspaper
said the portion in the book by Professor John Padden on
President Buhari, titled: “Muhammadu Buhari: Challenges
of Leadership”, was wrong.
“I became disturbed about this falsification of recent
history. Why would the author say this and have it
published when many of us know the truth? The truth is
that Tinubu singlehandedly chose Yemi Osinbajo and sent
the name to President Buhari. There was no pressure.
Tinubu is Osinbajo’s political mentor. The latter was his
attorney-general and commissioner for Justice in Lagos
and both have a close relationship.
“My worry stretched further when I recall the recent piece
by Femi Fani Kayode on Tinubu and his huge contributions
to the APC and how he is now being short-changed.
Though I do not agree with all the claims made by Femi
Fani-Kayode, I am convinced he made some reasonable
arguments and his summation about Tinubu’s role in the
current political dispensation can hardly be faulted.
In some areas, he went overboard and you could see him
gloating, the PDP apologist that he is. Also, the mention of
Governor Ajimobi as one of the governors working against
Tinubu is a fallacy and here he got his facts wrong.
Ajimobi has remained consistently behind Tinubu and that
is easily verifiable.
“But back to the emergence of Osinbajo as Vice
Presidential candidate. I was there the night before the
final decision and subsequent announcement. I was there
at the Lagos Lodge Annex in Asokoro, Abuja at Tinubu’s
place. On the night in reference, Asiwaju insisted that
three names would not be sent for the VP slot. He
maintained that only one name would be sent. Eventually,
the name of Osinbajo was sent to President Buhari. There
was no issue of pressure.
“Osinbajo was Tinubu’s man and that was the only person
Tinubu was willing to accept to cede the VP slot. Shortly
after Governor Amosun came around to the Lagos lodge.
He came in and we greeted. Now, it seems clear that some
fifth columnists are trying to distort recent history and we
should not let them. This history is too recent to be
mutilated,” he said.
In another development, details have emerged that
President Muhammadu Buhari rejected a whooping
€5billion ransom (about N1,706,850,000,000) for 219
kidnapped Chibok girls by Boko Haram.
This revelation is contained in the book, “Muhammadu
Buhari: The challenges of leadership in Nigeria”, authored
by Prof. John Paden.