In a reaction to a report that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has dumped his rumoured presidential bid, the National Convener of The Osibanjo Grassroots Organization (OGO), Sylvanus Foluso Ojo said that Osinbajo could not abandon an ambition he was yet to declare.
Ojo urged Osinbajo’s supporters to continue prevailing on the Vice President until he gives the presidential bid a thought in the interest of Nigeria.
While commenting on the report claiming that the Vice President dropped his presidential bid, Ojo said: “The online newspaper attributed its source to an aide of the Vice President who allegedly overheard him telling close associates and members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) who paid him an unofficial visit some days ago at the Presidential Villa.
“The source was also quoted to have revealed that the Vice President had a change of heart following a visit to felicitate with the former Lagos State government and National Leader of the All progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at his Bourdillon, Lagos State home.
“As far as we know, the Vice President has not at any time publicly declared an intention to run as successor to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023; we are therefore alarmed that someone who had at different times clarified, that his present attention is to assist the President to deliver on their campaign promises to now be quoted to have jettisoned a bid he was yet to declare is inappropriate.
“Is this not like someone vacating a property not yet built? Our group has in a different forum enjoined Professor Osinbajo to indicate interest in the 2023 presidential bid, and he is yet to respond to this appeal; saying that he abandoned such ambition before a declaration, therefore, suggests that someone is confusing the public.”
OGO noted that the report was aimed at dissuading Osinbajo from declaring to contest in the 2023 presidential election.
“The Osinbajo Grassroots Organisation (OGO) considers this a mind game, and ploy to dissuade the Vice President from exercising his democratic and constitutional rights as a leader with unique leadership skills and robust management style, assuming he chooses to give our pleas a thought.
“Without doubt, Prof. Osinbajo holds Asiwaju Tinubu in high esteem and will not contribute in any way to bring him into disrepute or cause cracks between them; however, as a democrat, we believe that the former Lagos State governor will not shut the democratic door against Osinbajo should the VP decides to run for the President, and he will do this, without bitterness,” he said.
