Explosive Claim: Buhari Offered Presidential Bid Support Four Times, Osinbajo's Ex-Spokesman Reveals

The political landscape surrounding Nigeria's 2023 presidential election continues to be a subject of debate, with Laolu Akande, former spokesman to ex-Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, vehemently refuting claims made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal. Lawal had asserted that former President Muhammadu Buhari deemed Osinbajo’s 2023 presidential ambition inappropriate due to his longstanding relationship with President Bola Tinubu and considered it "highly immoral and distasteful." Akande, who served as Osinbajo's spokesman from 2015 to 2023, categorically dismissed Lawal's narrative as false, drawing on his intimate knowledge of decisions made within the Presidential Villa during their tenure.

Akande presented a starkly different account, insisting that President Buhari had, on at least four separate occasions, personally offered his support for Osinbajo’s presidential aspiration during the lead-up to the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary. He quoted Buhari as plainly telling Osinbajo, "If I don’t support you, who will I support?" Furthermore, Akande recalled that Buhari publicly praised Osinbajo’s nationwide campaign during a Federal Executive Council meeting, commending its issues-based approach. This, Akande argued, contradicted any notion that Buhari found Osinbajo's ambition distasteful; rather, it showed a president who encouraged and applauded it.

Beyond the presidential ambition, Akande also tackled other specific allegations made by Lawal. He completely dismissed Lawal’s claim about an alleged memo listing over 20 staff members recommended by Osinbajo, which Lawal reportedly claimed was withheld by the President’s Chief of Staff before he personally delivered it to Buhari. Akande labelled this account a "complete fabrication," asserting that no such document ever existed. He elaborated on Osinbajo's direct access to President Buhari, explaining that memos for approval were routinely submitted by Osinbajo directly, then forwarded to his Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye, for communication to relevant agencies, without requiring the SGF's intervention except for the formal issuance of appointment letters.

Akande further rejected Lawal’s assertion that Buhari had referred to the proposed appointees by their ethnicity, stating that such a remark was inconsistent with the former president’s known conduct. He also countered the claim of a three-month delay in appointments, noting that he, along with other officials whose appointments Lawal questioned, resumed work in the Office of the Vice-President in June 2015. Akande affirmed that Osinbajo submitted various memos over time but never crafted any list based on religious or ethnic criteria.

Addressing the underlying motives for Lawal's claims, Akande pointed to Lawal's own history. He highlighted that it was President Buhari, not Osinbajo, who removed Lawal from his position as SGF due to allegations of corrupt practices, suggesting that Lawal’s current account might be influenced by personal grievances stemming from his ouster. Akande also strongly refuted claims that Osinbajo favored members of his church in appointments, emphasizing the diverse religious and regional representation within Osinbajo's office. He cited Ade Ipaye, a Muslim lawyer, as the most senior official, and noted that three of Osinbajo’s four special advisers were Muslims, including two northerners.

Finally, Akande challenged Lawal’s account regarding the appointment of former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okey Enelamah, whom Lawal had allegedly linked to Osinbajo’s church. Akande clarified that Enelamah was recommended by two individuals in the financial services industry, and his appointment was a presidential decision communicated to Osinbajo by the late Abba Kyari, Buhari’s then Chief of Staff. Akande concluded by reiterating that personal resentment should not be used to justify unfounded allegations, firmly positioning Lawal’s narrative as potentially motivated by his own past removal from office.