2023: Tinubu Opens Up On Relationship With Osinbajo

Bola Tinubu said he has forgiven Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and that he has nothing against him.

 

Newsonline reports that the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, says he has nothing against his former political ally, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

He said as a man who asks forgiveness from God, he must be willing to forgive others.

Also: 2023: Osinbajo Issues Directive To Staff Appointed Into Tinubu’s Campaign

 

Tinubu stated this in Kano on Monday, while addressing a group that worked for Osinbajo during the presidential primaries.

Alwan Hassan, the Coordinator of the Drone Marshall Support Group, had urged Tinubu to work with the vice president and other presidential aspirants who ran against him at the primary election on 8 June.

 

“We made consultations with your friends and even your enemies.

“Sometimes, all of them speak of one good quality about you. Most of them have agreed that you stood out as being patient and forgiving whosoever offends you in politics.

 

“We want to see more public participation between you and the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and all other aspirants that contested against you. You are the candidate, you have won,” he said.

Hassan also said the group will work for the APC candidate.

 

Responding to the request, Tinubu said he has nothing against the vice president, noting that he visited the latter at his house after the primaries, and also interacted with him during the ministerial retreat.

“I have nothing against him. I have been to his House after the primaries. I have seen him on the day of the goodwill message to the retreat organised by the president.

 

“And a man who forgives—a man who asks for forgiveness from Allah fully deserves forgiveness. If you cannot give forgiveness, how are you asking from Allah? To me, it is over,” he said

Since the convention, Osinbajo has somewhat distanced himself from the Tinubu/Shettima campaign. His name is not in the Presidential Campaign Council of the APC.

 

However, the ruling party said Osinbajo was excluded at the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to enable the vice president to focus on governance during the campaign season.

The vice president’s wife, Dolapo Osinbajo, is also not in the APC Women presidential campaign council.

Recall that Osinbajo was one of the presidential aspirants who ran against Tinubu in the APC presidential primary election held in June.

Aside from Osinbajo, the other 13 presidential aspirants included the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, and his Kogi State counterpart, Yahaya Bello.

Osinbajo, a political ally of Tinubu, served as attorney general and commissioner for justice when Tinubu was governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.