‘This is an unmitigated insult’ – Osinbajo Support Movement slams Tinubu’s ‘forgiveness’ claim
Camp of the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, has released strong statement following report that he has been forgiven by All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Some group of persons in Kano asked Tinubu to forgive Osinbajo for picking the APC presidential primary ticket and contested against Tinubu among others, in the party primary.
In his response, Tinubu said he has nothing against the VP, adding that a man who asks for forgiveness from Allah fully deserves forgiveness.
But in an unscathed statement, the Osinbajo Support Movement (OSM) posits that the vice president has not offended anyone by seeking the office of the president.
OSM in its statement noted that the representation of the support group in question does not speak for the coalition of all Support Groups who rooted for the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, in the buildup of the APC Presidential Primary.
“While the OSM welcomes the need for the APC flagbearer and other presidential aspirants to come together, the group rejects the use of the word “forgiveness” and the implications attached to it.
“We note just like the flagbearer stated that both the VP and himself have met at least twice since after the primaries, any attempt to take a revisionist perspective by insinuating that an offence had been committed because a sitting VP decided to run for the Office of President is an unmitigated insult, completely unnecessary and such narratives ought to be totally discouraged.
“We recall that a meeting of APC Elders in the Southwest ahead of the primaries where the aspirants had resolved the issue concluding that all the aspirants had the right to contest. It is the spirit of that meeting that should be maintained not a derogatory effort which undercuts the solidarity required to take both the flagbearer and the aspirants including the VP forward.
The group said the support of everyone was appreciated, and their new political choice was respected. Still, they will not accept a situation where every group or individual in the Vice President’s camp will be forced and classified into this self-serving agenda.
“Everyone who supported the Vice President has the right to support whoever they wish after the primary, and Vice President Osinbajo has made it clear that people are free to support the party’s candidate but no one should however ridicule us and our principal by going to beg for forgiveness,” the statement added.
Badmus also noted that: “Nigeria runs a democratic democracy, and approves anyone within the legal ambit of our laws (constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the APC constitution) to seek to be elected for President and other elective offices as so desired”.
“For the umpteenth time, we state that His Excellency, the Vice President has not committed any crime or offended anyone by seeking to serve his country in the capacity of President.”
“We wish to call on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to face his campaign and ignore elements who want to benefit from him by regularly invoking Osinbajo. Osinbajo has since moved on and he is vigorously facing the task of nation building for which he was elected Vice President.”
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