- Berates Osinbajo, says Tinubu has structure to win
By OBAH SYLVA AND OVIRI KELVIN, ABUJA
The Presidency has reacted to the statement credited to the spokesperson of the Lagos APC, Seye Oladejo, over his claim that the nation’s economy is in a bad state after about seven years of President Muhammadu Buhari in power.
Oladejo was obviously getting as the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, following his declaration to contest for president in the 2023 general elections. He lashed at the presidency for failing to meet the expectations of Nigerians. He added that despite having a professor as the head of the economic team the economy of the nation is comatose.
But in a quick reaction, the Presidency took a swipe at Oladejo, stating that it was a mistake for a party spokesman to abuse the legacies of the president because he wants to advance the aspiration of his preferred aspirant.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ajuri Ngelale in a statement made available to The Trumpet said that it is unwise for anyone under the guise of intra-party politics to criticize the achievements of Mr President.
He stressed that the act of condemning the legacy of this administration by the spokesperson of the Lagos APC due to his affiliation with one of the presidential aspirants was a misnomer.
Ngelale said, “I actively avoid politics, but it is necessary to state that as intra-party competition intensifies, the President’s legacy should be protected at all times. For a party spokesman to abuse the legacy of the President to advance one aspirant is a mistake.”
Oladejo lampooned the Osinbajo for daring to declare his interest to contest the seat of the president to truncate his godfather Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
He described Osinbajo as a serial betrayal who failed to stabilize and grow the party using his office but prefers to empower his fellow pastors which is against the context and dictates of the constitution of the party and the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended.
“The news did not come to us as a surprise, except that it took forever for diverse reasons but he eventually summoned the courage to throw his hat into the ring and as he said, he was busy consulting and engaging in self-denial overtime about his interest to run for the office.
“It didn’t catch us as a surprise and doesn’t change anything as regards who is calling the shots, as regards who is the leading aspirant, a presidential aspirant in our party APC.
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“There is no doubt that only one man has paid his dues in terms of fighting to enthrone democracy, in terms of making the reference point for good governance in Nigeria since the advent of democracy, in terms of being a fisher of men including the vice president himself. We believe that with the mammoth support he is enjoying in all the nooks and crannies of the country, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will definitely emerge victorious.
“I have read in so many media stocks about the issue of betrayal and all of that and people have really put this as they have started with Asiwaju but well it goes beyond that; betrayal should be put in perspectives. It should be put in context. It is multi-faceted; it is multi-dimensional. Betrayal of Mr President himself to the extent that the VP has not really been a stabilizing force as regards his activities very much in the media promoting his sector the Christian religion, the Pentecostal sect.
“The fact that all his appointees coincidentally have been pastors or members of the church. The fact that he has also betrayed the constitution of Nigeria, which in context and dictate promote secularity or the fact that he has not been able to contribute anything meaningful to the growth and development of APC as a party so the betrayal is multi-faceted and I guess it is not really a big surprise that this coincided with the holy way, the windfall fashion where historically, the first betrayal took place,” he added.
Following, the party spokesman in Lagos state said that the vice president cannot wrestle the ticket with Tinubu in the southwest because, in the sojourn of his political career, the APC national leader was his pathfinder.
He said, “Actually put in succinctly, you don’t challenge your father to a battle in the marketplace, politics or no politics I think there should be some sense of decorum, some morality, even in a political battle, by the way, Mr Vice President is definitely too old to be called Asiwaju’s son.
“By trying to fight the battle, he has declared himself a minor to want to take on the might of the national leader of our party, who more than any other person contributed to bringing Mr vice president himself to limelight by appointing him as commissioner for justice and attorney general in Lagos and nominating him to be the vice president to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The vice president has a whole lot of issues to clear. There is a big albatross on his neck so we’ll see how it plays out,” he added.
The Lagos APC spokesman in his outbursts noted that Osinbajo should be asked some salient questions about the economy of the nation because last he checked, it was within the vice president’s purview to oversee the economic recovery plan of the nation.
Oladejo continued, “The last time I checked he has been in charge of the economy. The question Nigerians should ask is what is our net worth? Have our personal fortunes improved in the past seven years? And I dare say that this is a personal thing and is a personal failure of the man who holds the office and not necessarily the party.
“So these are fundamental questions that we’re going to ask as party members and we also want to know politically what is he bringing to the table? Is he in a position to mobilize members of the party who have been likely deprived, who have been likely sacrificed as regards their interest and patronage of democracy for members of his church, which is clearly not in tandem with the spirit of the party constitution and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended? These are questions we are going to ask.
“There are issues bordering on the economy, unemployment, inflation, and a whole lot, so what is he going to give differently? All he said during his declaring speech was that he was going to continue what he has been doing before and I think Nigeria and Nigerians need someone with a clean slate in terms of personality and governance, not a reluctant president who can’t take us to the Nigeria of our dreams,” he added.
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