A few days ago, when TVC Presenter, Morayo Brown interviewed Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Minister for Works & Housing about the goings on in the country, one of the questions she asked him was the whereabout of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. She said he has been missing in action. Where is our VP she asked. Is he still sulking? Is he still angry? Why has he not been part of the APC Presidential Campaign, she asked. BRF smiled and explained that he still met the VP that Wednesday evening. He revealed that the VP is strong and kicking and that contrary to the general believe, the VP is part of the campaign, though he is at the background. He smiled again.
That is the same question everyone is asking because months after the APC primaries, Prof. Osinbajo has been operating below the radar, coming out sparingly to do his official duties. Many believe that he is still very upset by his loss at the primaries where he came distant 3rd to his political godfather Tinubu who won. Insiders say the VP feels Tinubu it was who engineered his defeat out the primaries. Since his loss at the primaries, the VP and his wife, Dolapo have been unusually quiet and Tinubu had bowed to pressure to reach out to Osinbajo to pacify him. So, thrive, Tinubu has gone to visit Osinbajo and begged him, all to know avail.
Osinbajo is not the only one who is angry, even his wife is also niffed at the shoddy treatment meted out on them by many politicians in the South West who described the VP as a big betrayal. So since Prof. lost, he and his wife had withdrawn into their shell.
Even the 1st Lady Aisha Buhari referred to this in a statement she issued months back wherein she revealed all her attempts to appease Prof. Osinbajo and his wife failed. She appealed to both of them to forget the past and move on into the future. She revealed that she went through with her husband when he repeatedly lost his elections. She told them to stop sulking and come out of hiding. Many other elders of the party especially from Ogun State have stepped in to resolve the differences between Tinubu and Osinbajo. City People can authoritatively reveal that Tinubu has repeatedly told all those who have approached him for raproachment with the VP, that he bears him no grudge.
Before the APC primaries many party elders had approached VP Osinbajo to step ddown. They told him severally that it was impolitic for him to be contesting against the man who made him V.P. They even went to the extent liking the situation to the Awo/Akintola fight of the 50’s and that History will not be kind to Osinbajo if he goes the whole hog to contest against his political godfather. But he went ahead to contest and refused to step down when others like Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Senator Ibikunle Amosun stepped down for Asiwaju Tinubu last minute at the APC presidential primaries grounds.
What made it all the move glaring that Prof. Osinbajo had gone below the radar was when he was conspicously missing at the Abeokuta APC presidential campaign rally which had all the APC Bigwigs in Ogun State in attendance like Aremo Olusegun Osoba. Many party leaders were angry that the VP who is the highest high rendering Ogun State APC chieftain in the government at the centre was not at the campaign. Also since the campaign started in November, he has not attended any of the campaigns. As the most highranking South-West politician in President Buhari’s cabinet and the highest political officer holder from Ogun State, at the federal level, many had expected to see the VP at the rally, but he was conspicously absent at the rally held in his home state, hosted by his state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun who is VP’s loyalist. His absence at the Abeokuta rally has sent tongues wagging. Many have wondered which camp he actually belongs to or whether he is in the know about what is likely to happen politically, this February.
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