Nigeria
Osinbajo Got It Wrong, IBB Is Not Tinubu’s Tormentor – Onanuga
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has dismissed claims by former VP Yemi Osinbajo that IBB is President Tinubu’s political adversary. Read more on the controversy.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, remarked that Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is mistaken in describing former military President Ibrahim Babangida as a tormentor of Tinubu.
At the public unveiling of Babangida’s autobiography, “A Journey in Service,” held last week at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, Osinbajo—serving as the book reviewer—recounted how Tinubu, then a senator, opposed the military government’s dissolution of the senate after annulling the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
He jokingly mentioned that Tinubu, who had previously faced persecution by the military—including Babangida—for attempting to re-establish the dissolved senate, was present at the event to honor one of his former tormentors.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on Tuesday, Onanuga criticized Osinbajo’s statement by arguing that Babangida served as an inspiration for Tinubu in shaping his political path.
I believe the former Vice President is mistaken. In my opinion, Babangida was not actually an adversary of President Tinubu. Remember that in his impromptu speech, President Tinubu mentioned holding Babangida in high regard and credited him as a significant inspiration for entering politics.
Onanuga said, “When Babangida took office, he emphasized the emergence of new breed politicians. At that time, Tinubu and many others were already established as technocrats or involved in private business ventures. This environment encouraged them all to engage in politics, which is how he got involved. So, that’s why he visited to show his respect.”
Onanuga mentioned that the persecution truly started during General Sani Abacha’s regime when Tinubu and several colleagues attempted to reassemble the Senate in Lagos.
The presidential adviser praised Babangida for acknowledging that MKO Abiola won the 1993 presidential election, but mentioned that this acknowledgment was overdue.