As the highly anticipated 2023 Presidential Elections draw closer, a possible rift between Ex-Lagos Governor and National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and VP Yemi Osinbajo seems to be widening.
Its no longer hidden knowledge that the VP Osinbajo was conspicuously the only major politician who did not visit Tinubu in London where he was recuperating from a surgery.
According to Thisday, Tinubu did not want to see the VP who is rumoured to also be nursing an ambition.
The paper reports that Osinbajo and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye had come into the UK to meet with Tinubu but the Lagos politician avoided them.
“Essentially, Osinbajo arrived London to attend a conference and then, see Tinubu. As he arrived, he was supposed to see Tinubu the next morning but Tinubu left town by 6 a.m. the next morning to avoid seeing him. Even Adeboye (General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye) had arrived a day earlier and they planned to see Tinubu,” the source said.
The source further disclosed that the vice president has to make up his mind after his failed bid to see Tinubu.
“Tinubu has ramped up his campaign and Osinbajo also wants to be president and both cannot be president.
“So, now the die is cast for the battle of his life. He has not decided to run but a lot of people are mobilising him to run,” the source explained.
However, according to a source close to Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State had been in London for two and a half months, adding that if Osinbajo wanted to come and see him, he had enough time.
“The president came to see Asiwaju; other leaders came; Osinbajo did not come. If Osinbajo had wanted to come, he had enough time to do so. Tinubu wanted to return because he wanted to avoid the crowd in Lagos. And he returned when he did,” he explained.
However, Supporters of the two powerful politicians have claimed that there have been several attempts to pit both leaders against each other over the 2023 Presidential elections.
Former Presidential aide, Babafemi Ojudu while commenting on the matter, said that Osinbajo and Tinubu are both members of the same political family.
“Osinbajo regards Tinubu as a respected leader of a political family to which he belongs and will therefore not for any reason endorse an endeavour that seeks to pitch them against each other.”
“We are not unaware of some people who may want to foist a crack among our leaders. Such an attempt is abortive. Osinbajo and Tinubu relationship dates way back and it shall continue to wax strong”, he stated.
I think every Nigerian have a right to contest for any position.