Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressive Congress, Ahmed Bola Tinubu,was not instrumental to his emergence as Vice President in 2015.
He told state house correspondents that his emergence as Vice President came to him as total surprise, especially when he got a call from the former governor of Osun state and now Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola informing him of his nomination for the plum job.
According to Osinbajo, his ability to steer the affairs of the country, while his principal, Muhammadu Buhari was briefly incapacitated makes him a better candidate to occupy the seat of power in 2023.
He said electing him President would save the country the delay of having to learn the robes of governance, especially for a fresh candidate who may not have served in such capacity.
He spoke on how he emerged running mate to then-candidate Muhammadu Buhari in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election came to him as a surprise.
He disclosed that he was handling a case of a defection of a federal lawmaker at the Supreme Court, when suddenly the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola called him to inform him of his nomination for the plum job.
He added “I was working on the case at Peniel Apartments in Abuja on December 18, 2014, when at about 1 a.m. in the morning, I received a call from Rauf Aregbesola that they were coming to Lagos to pick me.I said I was in Abuja. He said ‘good because you have been nominated as the vice-presidential candidate’ and I said is that how you nominate people”
He said that after representing his client that day, he returned to his accommodation and spoke to himself in low tunes after he removed his wig, that “this is probably the last time I will be wearing it.”
He revealed that Aregbesola, who is the current interior minister, and former Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, later in the day took him to the presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr Osinbajo said he was telling his story to the journalists to let them know that an individual’s life can change at any minute.
Speaking on why he intends to rule Nigeria as President, he said he has always believed and stood for a better Nigeria all his life, stressing that his decision to run for the office of President in 2023 was to enable him to fulfil that dream of making a difference.
He added:”Very few people have the kind of training and experience that I have been exposed to, prior to my declaration to run for president, I have met with various groups including governors, delegates and party leaders”