Vice President Yemi Osinbjo says he is not thinking about any 2023 ambition but remained focus on supporting President Muhammadu Buhari in delivering the goals of his government.
The Media Aide to the vice president, Laolu Akande, made this known on Monday night during an Instagram Live Chat with Dele Momodu of Ovation Magazine.
Akande said the recent attempt by some faceless persons who use some unknown bloggers to spread false reports about Osinbajo will not deter his principal from doing his job.
He added that the vice president will not be distracted by baseless allegations by some people to tarnish his image and the good works he has done so far.
Akande noted Osinbajo has become a political target due to the fact he is the deputy to President Muhammadu Buhari, who has always been on the receiving end of verbal attacks from the opposition.
He said, “It is ridiculous and incredible some of the types of stories that are out there. What I have found out is that being the vice-president and being a very active vice-president that understands how to connect with the people, that rising profile itself, in a political atmosphere that is extremely murky, I think those who have all kinds of unscrupulous ideas, people with despicable agenda have reasons to try to smear the person that is holding that office.
“Like I said, because of the position that he holds, next to the President and because of all the kinds of imaginations that people have to think about him, I think, up to a point, he has become a kind of a political target.”
When asked whether the so-called attacks are to hack down any ambition the vice president has in 2023, the aide said, “Personally, I don’t have a doubt in my mind that there are people who have political objectives who might consider him (Osinbajo) a threat. But what I like to tell Nigerians is, I’m his spokesperson and all I know he wants to do is to do this job that he has been given very well and he doesn’t have any other plans right now about any such thing. I can tell you that clearly.
“He has said to me several times, see Laolu, this is not a monarchy, we are going to be here for four or at best eight years, let’s just focus and do the work so that when we are gone, people will say we did this and that. So, he is entirely consumed with the job. I’m his spokesperson and we have not talked about what he is going to do in 2023. What’s the point?
“Part of the objectives of some of these attacks is to distract him. But he will not be distracted. The goal is to bring confusion but he is not distracted.
“The vice president is not talking to anybody about 2023. He is not thinking about it. He is focused on the job that the president has handed over to him and he just wants to support the president to deliver his goals.”
