Few Weeks to Presidential Poll, Osinbajo Visits Tinubu

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

About two months to the February 25, 2023 presidential poll, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday paid a visit to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu at his residence in Abuja.

The planned but impromptu visit was coming six months after the party’s presidential primary that produced Tinubu as the party’s candidate.

At about 7 pm yesterday, the Vice President in company of a few of his personal aides visited Tinubu.

THISDAY gathered from a reliable source that the meeting between the duo which was held behind closed doors lasted for almost an hour.

The source who did not want to be named said: “The vice president came in at about 7 pm and entered into a closed-door meeting with Asiwaju. The meeting lasted for about an hour.”

However, another source said the vice president expressed his loyalty and support for the Tinubu/Shetimma presidential project.

“The crux of their meeting was simple. The Vice President came to express his loyalty and support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shetimma’s presidential ticket,” he added.

The source said the vice president told Tinubu the various administrative activities that have kept him away from the campaign but assured that he was with them in spirit.

Osinbajo, a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God had maintained a graveyard silence following the decision of Tinubu to pick a fellow Muslim from the North East and a former Governor of Borno state, Senator Kashim Shettima.

While the controversy raged on, the vice president intentionally refused to bear his mind on the Muslim-Muslim ticket of his erstwhile political benefactor.

Osinbajo who was one of the aspirants that lost to Tinubu had not been seen at the campaign of the ruling party after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the ban on political campaigns on September 28, a development that has raised dust within the party.

However, a statement by the Presidency in October, had stated Osinbajo and Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha would be excused from the APC presidential campaign to allow the two officials to face governance.

The APC vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima; the Deputy Director General of the campaign council and former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole; former Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Dele Alake and Malam Nuhu Ribadu were among the few party chieftains on ground to receive the vice president.