Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has spoken about the circumstances surrounding his emergence as running mate to the then General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) ahead of the April, 2015 election.
Prof Osinbajo spoke about the issue for the first time since a controversy broke out within the ruling party regarding the person who nominated him and those who tried to stop him.
Contrary to a widely held belief that the All Progressives Congress national leader, Bola Tinubu, single-handedly chose Osinbajo, the author of Buhari’s biography, “Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria”, Prof. John Paden, claimed in the book that Tinubu tried to stop Osinbajo and made atrempt to impose himself.
Loyalists of the former Lagos state governor however fired back and insisted that Osinbajo’s emergence as VP was solely Tinubu’s idea.
Speaking on the issue while hosting some Niger Delta agitators to a dinner in the State House on Wednesday night, Osinbajo took a middle ground, saying “somebody somewhere” nominated him to the then APC flagbearer.
He said that “somebody somewhere” must nominate one before occupying a position.
“I was in a group of young men and women and one of them asked the question how did I become Vice President?
“I was never a politician or anything like that. So I tried to explain it is quite simple that someone somewhere has to recommend you.
“Somebody somewhere has to give you a helping hand, whether to be a Vice President or to be an aircraft pilot or to be an engineer, somebody somewhere has to give you an opportunity.
“I think that all of you that are here today are the beneficiaries of the opportunities that you have somehow received. And this is why this event is so important. I think that it is one way we have to remind ourselves that we are bound as individuals to give opportunities to everyone,” he said.
