The Osinbajo Support Movement has criticised the All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for saying he has forgiven Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Tinubu had told a Kano group that supported Osinbajo’s presidential bid in the run-up to the APC presidential primaries in May that he had nothing against the vice president.
The former Lagos State governor had said, “I have nothing against him. I have been to his house after the primaries. I saw him on the day of the goodwill message [at] the retreat organised by the president. And a man who forgives, a man who asks for forgiveness from Allah fully deserves forgiveness. If you cannot give forgiveness, how are you asking from Allah? To me, it is over.”
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, the group stated that while political realignment is possible, any talk of forgiveness between Osinbajo and Tinubu is both an insult and a provocation.
This was stated on behalf of the group in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Mr Liberty Badmus.
“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 statement read.
The group said the support of everyone was appreciated and their new political choice is respected, but will not accept a situation where every group or individual in the Vice President’s camp will be forced and classified “into this 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, 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.
The group said that they will not accept a situation in which every group or individual in the Vice President’s camp is forced and classified “into this agenda,” irrespective of the fact that appreciate everyone’s support and respect their new political choice.
“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.”