More facts have emerged on the reason behind the visit of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Abuja on Wednesday.
RovingNaija News had reported earlier that Osinbajo met with Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima at the residence of former Lagos governor in Abuja.
Recall that Tinubu defeated Osinbajo and other presidential aspirants at the APC presidential primaries months ago.
Since the development, the latter has not been involved in the ruling party’s campaigns.
Though the presidency had made it clear that Osinbajo was acting on President Muhammadu Buhari‘s directive that he and the Secretary to the Government, Boss Mustapha, should not participate in campaign activities so they could focus on governance.
However, amid speculations that Osinbajo and Tinubu had fallen out due to the outcome of the party’s presidential primaries, the VP paid a courtesy visit to the former Governor of Lagos State yesterday, a few weeks into the 2023 general elections.
Reacting, however, to speculations, sources from the APC camp insisted that Osinbajo’s visit to Tinubu was not political but just a friendly one.
APC officials who reportedly witnessed the meeting said expectations in some quarters might suggest something different, but it was a courtesy call based on the duo’s longstanding relationship.
Citing previous meetings between the two after the presidential primaries earlier in June, they noted that Osinbajo’s latest visit to Tinubu was in response to an earlier visit from Tinubu to the vice president after the primaries.
Earlier in June this year, weeks after APC primary election, Tinubu visited Osinbajo at his Aguda House residence in the Presidential Villa.
Again the duo met in October at the Ministerial Retreat in the Presidential Villa.
“The fact that both leaders contested against each other at the primaries does not make them enemies because I know the vice-president is an ‘Omaluabi’.
”He has high regard for BAT, who I also know to be very close to the vice president, and this he has demonstrated at different times.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Osinbajo’s visit to Tinubu was merely in the spirit of the Christmas season.
“Besides, such a visit can be best termed as reciprocal after Tinubu paid the vice president a similar visit in the past,” an APC source who preferred to he anonymous noted.
Another source, who also pleaded anonymity, said it was only customary for leaders to exchange visits and nothing less in the spirit of Christmas.
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