The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Osinbajo

  • Video: Life, time of Osinbajo at 62

    Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo turned 62 years today, with the professor of law along with wife, Dolapo giving praises to Jesus as the “lover of his soul” and ‘strong tower’.

    Osinbajo, who escaped death last month in a helicopter crash in Kogi state, won re-election on February 23 for another four year term, along with his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari.

    A video post on Osinbajo’s Twitter post, where he commands almost two million followers, shows him and wife sing to the glory of Jesus.

    Osinbajo was born on March 8, 1957 in Lagos.

    He attended the Igbobi College, Lagos, University of Lagos (UNILAG) from 1975 to 1978, and London School of Economics and Political Science.

    He was Attorney-general and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State from 1999 until 2007.

    Osinbajo worked as a Professor of Law at the University of Lagos for many years; he was also a Senior Partner with SimmonsCooper Partners, a commercial law practice.

    In 2015 presidential election, he was President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate and was inaugurated as Nigeria’s Vice President, on May 29, 2015.

    On Feb. 23, Osinbajo and President Buhari were reelected for a second term in office.

    He is also a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

    Osinbajo and his wife Dolapo Osinbajo have three children.

  • Fasanmi congratulates Buhari, Osinbajo

    The National Leader of Yoruba socio-political organisation, the Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, has described last Saturday’s presidential election as one of the freest and fairest ever conducted in Nigeria.

    In a statement by his Media Assistant, Mr.  Adebayo Temitope, the Second Republic senator congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemu Osinbajo on their re-election.

    He described their victory as the return of progressive government to power, adding that now “is the time for the nation to make use of the golden opportunity to stabilise itself politically and economically”.

    According to him, the victory is about the confirmation of the people’s acceptance of the performance of the Buhari administration in the last three and a half years in office.

    Pa Fasanmi hailed residents of the Southwest for supporting Mr. President and their faith in Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba, by standing firmly for progressive legacy handed over by the great sage, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    Fasanmi assured Nigerians that the second coming of President Muhammadu and his vice, Prof. Osinbajo will further ensure the end of “corrupt politicians, who have decided to turn the country into Federal Republic of Corruption.”

    He maintained that “Buhari is a man of his word who will fulfil all the promises he has made to the people of Nigeria.

    Fasanmi urged Nigerians to be patient and prayerful to God so make the next four years bring the best for the nation.

  • Battle Osinbajo couldn’t win

    In a period of two months he must have visited Victoria Garden City (VGC) more than 15 times. Town hall meeting here, parlour meeting there and street walk there. He met with professionals and engaged resident associations just as he dialogued with people of faith. At the end of the elections they will still not let him deliver his unit.

    I have received many calls and text messages asking what happened? It is not far-fetched.

    It is a combination of ethnicity, elite mentality and living in the midst of people who the policies of the administration do not favour.

    As we held those meetings, I saw it coming and remarked to colleagues that coming to VGC and appealing to the voters there may be a waste of time. I could see it in their utterances, in their body language. The bile was palpable and in some cases you could perceive hostility. Osinbajo, as we have known, is a never say die person. He dug at it with the severity of a tunnel digger with the believe that there will be light at the end.

    At the last meeting he had,which was on the Wednesday before the initial February 19 election day, I slipped away and went to have a rest in the hotel so as to be strong for the following day task.

    Only an Osinbajo will depart Uyo for Lagos at 9.00 pm after a hard day campaign in Plateau State and Akwa Ibom and take an arduous ride through the Lekki traffic to VGC from the airport sometimes for one and half hours and still go and address a motley crowd of 30 residents.

    Those engagements were for me a spectacle. I am easily irritated. Many of his aides were disgusted like me.

    Not Osinbajo who will take his time fielding all manners of questions and sometimes subtle and not so subtle insults.

    There were cases of some fellows who had nothing to say than “Osinbajo you have come now and you didn’t bring kola how do you want us to vote for you again”, Kola in the local parlance meaning money or bribe. And this is a supposed elite location. I was shocked hearing this. Some said since he was elected, they expected him to have donated a mini-stadium in VGC. Some wanted him to have solved there problem of flooding. A fellow said he and Buhari stand blamed for the loss of his would have been first child who died when his pregnant wife walked into an electrified floodwater in his house.

    One expressed disgust at his men parking in front of his gate. Another accused him of lying that the Second Niger Bridge project has taken off. Every effort to convince him was ignored and he kept interjecting until Osinbajo moved on to other topics.

    He took all of this with calmness and gave time, hours at a time, explaining government policies: why the administration is fighting corruption and why Nigeria must not depend on imports from other nations, as well as the infrastructural projects going on across Nigeria.

    All of this was like pouring water on the back of a calabash. To be honest, there were a handful who were civil and patriotic. Some others were sympathetic and could reason with the logic of his presentation and the sincerity of his purpose.

    I could hear the voices of some who shared his dream of a greater Nigeria. A Nigeria where the leaders pursued the good of the majority as opposed to the minority. Some suggested great ideas and offered criticisms that could help sharpen policy. Some offered to join the Osinbajo train.

    Some too were taken in by his humility and understanding of the problem. A particular person right there and then sought to have an account number to which he could pay a donation and a few others must have too. Some were generous offering us snacks and drinks to wet our parched throats.

    Most were however new money, importers of all manners of things, beneficiaries of the abuse the Buhari administration was dedicated to stamping out. Some others were driven mainly by ethnic hatred.

    This,however, is understandable. Even in America many still make their political choices based on colour of the skin. The majority of the British who voted for Brexit did so because of aversion for the Eastern Europeans who come to their country to seek a better life not minding the harm such a decision will do to the economy of their country. Good or bad every voter has the right to the choice he makes. No one can deprive him or her of that. That is the essence of democracy.

    It was easy therefore to see that this was a battle this ajantala will not win. I knew they were not going to vote for him.

    He was however relentless and persistent, calling on the tenacity that has taken him to the height he has reached in life today; best grade in secondary school, a first class in the university and lecturer at the age of 23, a professor of law, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, an exceptional Attorney General in Lagos for eight years and an accomplished Vice President of Nigeria for close to four years now. To top it all he is a reputable pastor.

    Yes, Osinbajo lost the vote in his neighbourhood of VGC. VGC is not his constituency. Certainly not. He could easily have gone to vote in Ikenne, his ancestral home where he is deeply loved and revered. He could have queued to vote in the Somolu area of Lagos where he was born and raised and where his aged mother lived and adored by neighbours. He could still have chosen to cast his vote in Akoka , on the premises of University of Lagos where he taught and thought  for many years and his unit could have embraced him and give him a landslide victory but Osinbajo is one who never runs away from a problem. He will dig his teeth in it until he is able to bite through.

    Knowing him, he will not quit VGC until he is able to make the new money residents see reason.

    Left to me he ought to move his base to that glorious abode of late Obafemi Awolowo, a place of history, a community that is synonymous with progressive politics and intellectual pursuit.

    By the way I am told that the small town has produced up to 13 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, more than most states of Nigeria has produced.

    After all, one of the first SAN was our leader Pa Obafemi Awolowo who must have been smiling down on his grandson-in-law as he displayed the brilliance and tenacity only an Awoist can pull off. Only this time, he lost the battle and won the war! Congratulations Mr. Vice President.

     

    • Senator Ojudu is Special Adviser, Political Matters to the President.

  • Osinbajo, Durotoye vote in same polling unit

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Mr. Fela Durotoye,  the presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), both residents of Victoria Garden City(VGC), Lagos, yesterday, voted at the same polling unit-Code 33, Unit 2 in the estate.

    Osinbajo, who arrived at the unit at 10:28 a.m., exercised his franchise at 10:53 a.m while Durotoye voted at 12:11 p.m.

    Chairman, VGC, Property Owners and Residents Association, Mr Adetokunbo Ladega, said he was excited having two key players in the presidential contest living in the community.

    According to him, it is a rare feat which makes him feel VGC is the right place to live in.

    He said that VGC was a very large community which had two main polling units.

    “We are a very large community, with a little over 5000 registered voters.

    “So, we know from previous experience that there is always a need to put in place effective crowd management,” he said

     

  • Buhari will accept polls outcome, says Osinbajo

    The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will accept the outcome a free and fair presidential election.

    He said this after casting his vote at polling unit 033 in Victoria Garden City (VGC), his country home in Lagos. “This administration will do everything it said. We are going to accept the outcome of a free, fair and credible poll.

    That is democracy. Let the voting process be peaceful. Cast your vote and encourage others to do the same. Let it remain as peaceful as it can. If the election is free and fair and everybody says it is free and fair, then we must accept the result,” he said.

    The Vice President, who said his vote is not different from the vote of every other Nigerian, said he and President Buhari are very confident of winning reelection.

    “We have gone round the nation and we have spoken to the nation about the need for us to continue on the path that we have set; the path of growth and development for the nation. We deserve a second term in order for us to complete all that we have started. We have also said that this country, in the next four years, by the grace of God and the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, will be a completely changed nation,” he said.

    Osinbajo, who also commended the turnout of voters and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the peaceful poll, said the turnout was impressive, expressing confidence in the elections.

  • Excitement as Osinbajo walks in Ilorin

    It began as a small circle of party chiefs and some curious residents.

    In a few minutes, it became a sea of heads, which burst into songs and slogans. A carnival.

    That was Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s visit yesterday to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    The reception was tumultous. Residents and All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters were shouting the party’s battle-cry, O to gee (enough is enough)

    Prof. Osinbajo was drawing the curtain on his Next Level engagements for support for the party in tomorrow’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Read also: Fed Govt, AGF ask Supreme Court to stay off Onnoghen’s case

    He was first received by the Information and Culture & Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed, Kwara APC governorship candidate AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other party chieftains.

    Continuing his campaign for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo stopped over at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu-Gambari.

    The monarch personally received him in front of the palace amidst chants of ‘Osinbajo’, ‘Sai Baba’ and ‘O to ge’ (Kwara APC’s campaign slogan).

    At the palace, Prof Osinbajo listeded the major achievements of the Buhari administration and why APC is seeking re-election.

    The vice president proceeded to take long walks on the streets of Ilorin through Adabata, Isale Aluko and Alanamu ward, where he was greeted by huge crowds of residents who trooped out to welcome him.

    Prof. Osinbajo assured Kwara residents that more Federal Government impact will be felt over the next four years as the country goes to the Next Level. He said President Buhari’s government is committed to creating more jobs and improving the country’s economy.

    He also stated that more Nigerians will benefit from its Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) which has positively affected the lives of millions of Nigerians.

  • Osinbajo dismisses resignation report as fake

    VICE PRESIDENT Yemi Osinbajo yesterday denied the report that he has resigned his position as President Muhammadu Buhari’s deputy.

    The report of Prof Osinbajo’s purported resignation was a trending social media fake news alert on Wednesday.

    Prof. Osinbajo, the report claimed, resigned because he was allegedly sidelined from the security meeting President Muhammadu Buhari held with Service Chiefs and head of security agencies and three governors from the North on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja.

    But in a statement by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, the vice president described the purported resignation as fake news and deliberate propaganda.

    Akande said: “Contrary to the fake news in circulation yesterday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has not resigned his position in the Buhari administration.”

    He said Osinbajo in a meeting with young Christian leaders in Lagos on Wednesday night, personally debunked the purported resignation being circulated on some social media platforms.

    Akande quoted the vice president as saying: “They are deliberate propaganda. Today (Wednesday), they’ve been spreading some information around that I’ve resigned.

    “They said I didn’t attend a security meeting yesterday. I was too busy in my office. The same security people were meeting with me that same evening. Must I attend every meeting? Can’t the President hold a meeting with the security chiefs without me?

    “They said I was so angry that they didn’t bring me to that meeting; that I was excluded; then, I resigned! I have not resigned.”

    He said in continuation of the Next Level engagements, the vice president was in Lagos to hold a meeting with the Hausa community in Ikeja.

    The statement reads: “He (vice president) then proceeded to Yola, in Adamawa State, where he met a group of Christian leaders

    “On his return to Lagos yesterday night, the vice president held an interactive session with Young Christian Leaders at Muson Center, Onikan, where he spoke on the fake news.

    “Prof. Osinbajo continues the Next Level engagements and is expected in Kwara and Abia states later today (yesterday).”

    At the interactive session and engagement with the upcoming Christian leaders, Osinbajo described as absurd, the lies, propaganda and accusations against the President.

    The interactive session was tagged: “Unveiling the truth”. It was attended by some Christian leaders in attendance.

    Participants used the occasion to ask plenty of questions bothering on insecurity, economy, blaming of past administrations, social welfare for the unemployed, corruption, and timing ofTraderMoni.

    Other questions bothered on Next Level slogan, farmer/herders crisis, lopsided federal appointments, Islamisation, Buhari’s commitment to addressing critical issues in the country among others.

    Osinbajo said  Buhari was committed to addressing the problems facing the country such as security, economy and fixing critical infrastructure and fair treatment of all sections.

    He said Buhari has tackled the farmer/herders’ crises and has no intention at all to Islamise the country.

    Osinbajo said: “President Muhammadu is possibly one of the most committed people I have ever met. He is committed to seeing that resources of this country are used for this country.

    “In general terms, we find that there is fairness in the distribution of appointments. Many of the accusations against Buhari are not true.

    “Sometimes, people listen to propaganda and if we look at the facts, things are totally different. On Islamisation, first of all, it is untrue, it is propaganda. Anybody who complains that President Buhari is propagating Islamic agenda, how is that possible?

    “A lot of these are just propaganda. Never listen to these. Many of these are absurd, they are deliberate propaganda. They come from the same source. Don’t believe them. Let’s be fair.”

    The vice president, who urged Nigerians not to fear or doubt the good intention of the President, advised Nigerians to stop spreading rumours about things that never happened.

    Osinbajo noted that the major cause of farmer/herder crisis remains pasture and water which the government has made concerted efforts to address.

    On accusations of lopsided federal appointments, Osinbajo explained that the Southeast with five states has five ministers more than some regions with higher number of states.

    On TraderMoni, he said the National Assembly does not need to approve money for it as it is a programme of the Bank of Industry meant to lift many Nigerians out of poverty.

    On the timing of implementation of the Social Investment Programme (SIP), Osinbajo said it kicked off after the budgetary allocation was passed by the National Assembly in 2016.

    According to him, the party never promised N5, 000 monthly stipends for the unemployed but for the vulnerable in the society.

    He said the NSIP has engaged so many youths in its N-Power programme and that government has the plan to increase the number to 1.5 million young Nigerians in the Next Level out of 1.7 million people churned out of tertiary institutions every year.

    On criminality, the vice president said that the way forward is local policing and intelligence as well as immediate arrest and prosecution of criminals in the country.

    On security, he said that the country has made significant progress and moved forward from what the situation was before the 2015 general elections.

    The vice president said the All Progressives Congress (APC) Next Level slogan centres on job creation, power, provision of credit facilities for entrepreneurs, agriculture, infrastructure and others.

    The vice president urged Christian leaders not to lose their sleep over any Islamic agenda and Islamisation, saying many Christians are in the cabinet of President Buhari.

    He said the media should desist from spreading rumours, decrying fake news about Buhari being another person from Sudan.

    Addressing the accusation that the present administration often blames previous administrations, Osinbajo said the country cannot move forward without considering the past.

    According to him, corruption remains the bane of national growth and development. He said most of the woes confronting Nigerians were caused by wastefulness of past governments.

    The highlights of the interaction were the high praise, led by choir and the power-packed prayer for the country and the general election, led by Bishop Wale Oke.

    The participants prayed for God’s mercies on the country.

  • Osinbajo seeks Hausa community support for Buhari’s re-election

    VICE President Yemi Osinbajo has urged members of the Hausa community to come out in large number on Saturday to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari to continue the good work his administration has embarked on in the past three and a half years.

    Osinbajo, who made the call at a Town Hall meeting held in Ikeja, told members of the community to also vote for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in all elections.

    He told them that some former leaders had ganged-up against Buhari because of his stance against corruption. “What we are hoping to see on Saturday is an affirmation, a vote for a man, who has proved over the years to be honest and truthful.

    “The problem of our country is not that we don’t have enough money, the problem is that our past leaders had stolen the money meant for the provision of infrastructure.

    “The Buhari administration is able to do more than what its predecessors did despite the excess earning from crude export by the previous administration. This is possible because Buhari is not a thief. Even, his worst enemies know that he is a man of truth. They know he will never steal public fund.”

    The Vice President regretted that the country is where people who found themselves in power believed the public fund belonged to them and their cronies.

    Chairman, Arewa Community in Lagos State, Alhaji Ahmed Kabiru, hailed Osinbajo for recognising the community. He assured the vice president of the community’s support for APC. We are going to vote for APC from Presidency to the lowest position,” he added.

     

  • Breaking: I have not resigned, says Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has dispelled rumour of his resignation from the current administration for being allegedly sidelined in the scheme of things.

    The social media became awash hours ago with reports of the Vice President’s resignation over alleged bashing by a cabal in the Presidency.

    His absence at a meeting with security chiefs by top presidency officials further fuelled the speculation.

    But Osinbajo attributed the report to mischief makers, who he said are bent on creating rifts and tension within top officials of the current administration.

    On his official twitter handle, the Vice President debunked the claim, dismissing it as fake news.

    He wrote: “Misleading/FAKE news is on the rise especially in this season when Nigerians will make a choice about who will govern them for the next four years.

    “I have not resigned!

    “I remain committed to the service of the Nigerian people under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

    He added a video explaining why he was not at the meeting between security chiefs and presidential officials.

    Addressing the rumour at a forum meeting on Thursday morning, Osinbajo said: “There is deliberate propaganda. Today, they’ve been spreading some information around that I’ve resigned. They said I’ve resigned; they said I didn’t attend the security meeting yesterday.

    “I was in my office… What time do I have? Must I attend every meeting? Can’t the President hold a meeting with security chiefs without me?

    “They said I was so angry that they didn’t bring me to that security meeting — I was excluded — so I resigned.”

    He went on to explain he aware of the security meeting but couldn’t attend because of official engagements, assuring he remains committed to working with Buhari to move the nation forward.

  • Food vendors declare support for Buhari/Osinbajo

    No fewer than three thousand food vendors in Oyo state under the Federal Government Home Grown School Feeding Programme embarked on a peaceful work around Ibadan, the Oyo state capital city to declare their support for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The said the peaceful walk became imperative to show solidarity for the president on the heels of the postponement of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The food vendors who prepares meal for the school children from across the 33 local governments areas of the state said the school feeding initiative has not only helped them for means of livelihood as parents, it has also helped improve school attendance by school-age children in the state.

    The vendors, mostly women also commended the All Progressive Congress (APC) led initiative as time-saving for farmers across the various sectors as the feeding programme has been helping to mop up farm produce that used to be in excess and discouragement to farmers.

    Speaking at Oke-Ado were the vendors converge before hitting the street, the Oyo state coordinator, Mrs Ajobo Toyosi said they decided to endorse and declare support for Muhammadu Buhari because of the impact the Home Grown School Feeding Programme is having on their lives as well as on the children in promoting good education.

    She also thanked the Oyo state governor, Abiola Ajimobi for agreeing to let the state be used as a pilot for the scheme.

    Ajobo said, “We want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari that we are so grateful and we wish him good health. We the food vendors in Oyo state are so grateful for his kind gestures.

    “As parents, we got the job to take care of our families and it is also good for our children from Primary 1 to 3, the school children numbers are increasing and they all happy staying in school as they eat free food.

    “With all these, we are sure that President Muhammadu Buhari wants to increase and progress for all Nigerians. With this food, children come to school early and even stay in school and we are grateful, as parents and as the ones preparing the food for them.

    “We the food vendors in Oyo state decided to use this rally to declare our support for PMB for his second term bid because we believed in him.

    “We have over 3,000 vendors who are participating in the rally so that the whole world will know that we are solidly behind this government and President Buhari who has helped us to stabilize our lives.

    “Agriculture is improving. Before now, when farmers in the farm make their product the excess that they don’t sell ends up as waste which often discourages them from farming. But when the FG started the initiative, farming has gone to another level and all farm produce are now in abundance and selling fast.

    “We patronize the farmers and poultry producers who are always happy for creating the market to help mop up their farm produce. We are grateful to PMB for the efforts. We also want to thank Governor Abiola Ajimobi for allowing the state to be part of the first batch to accept the programme. We are really grateful because we are better for it.

    Also, the state financial secretary of the group, Mrs. Bola Ajagbe, expressed happiness that despite not been a politician or card-carrying member of any party, she was shortlisted to be a beneficiary of the scheme.

    She noted that the transparent and non-partisan nature of the selection of the vendors makes the initiative a truly national project in the interest of developing the people and the country as a whole.