Laolu Akande, former spokesperson to ex-Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, has countered claims by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, that the late President Muhammadu Buhari considered Osinbajo’s 2022 presidential ambition immoral.
Akande maintained that Buhari had offered to support Osinbajo’s presidential ambition on four separate occasions, challenging the account of the former presidential aide regarding the relationship between the late president and his former deputy.
The disagreement centres on the circumstances surrounding Osinbajo’s decision to contest for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 general election.
Osinbajo, who served as vice-president from 2015 to 2023 under Buhari, declared his intention to succeed his principal in April 2022.
His declaration came amid intense political manoeuvring within the APC, with several prominent party figures seeking the party’s presidential ticket.
Lawal had claimed that Buhari viewed Osinbajo’s decision to contest against other aspirants as immoral, raising questions about the former vice-president’s relationship with the late president during the succession battle.
However, Akande’s counterclaim presents a different account of Buhari’s position, suggesting that the late president had indicated willingness to support Osinbajo’s ambition on multiple occasions.
The conflicting accounts have renewed attention on the political dynamics within the Buhari administration and the events leading up to the APC presidential primary in June 2022.
Osinbajo eventually lost the party’s ticket to Bola Tinubu, who went on to win the 2023 presidential election.
