nairavsdollars:
By Temidayo Akinsuyi

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has his eyes firmly set on succeeding his prin­cipal, President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2023 and has already started moves to actualise his ambition, Daily Independent exclusively gathered.

This ambition, however, may put him a collision course with his political leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former La­gos State governor and national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who nominated Osinbajo as Bu­hari’s running mate in Decem­ber 2014.

While Tinubu, who returned from London last week after a knee surgery has not formally declared his interest to run in 2023, one of his key associates had told Daily Independent that he will make his position known af­ter the APC national convention when a substantive leadership of the party would have been elected.

However, several political groups, the principal one be­ing the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA ‘23) has been canvassing support for him across the country.

Our correspondent spoke with several credible sources in the party who confirmed the development even though majority of them chose to remain anonymous.

According to one of them, who was a key member of Pres­ident Buhari’s campaign team in the 2019 presidential elections, Osinbajo’s interest in the race was buoyed by the pressure by many stakeholders in the party, including associates of the pres­ident who believe that he is the “best candidate to continue from where Buhari will stop in 2023”.

He said those pushing for Osinbajo also believe that hav­ing understudied President Bu­hari as vice president for over six years without showing any sign of disloyalty, Osinbajo will continue with the policies of the Buhari administration if elected president.

Speaking further, he said age factor and the clam our by some stakeholders in the party that if APC should zone the presidential ticket to the South, a Christian should succeed President Buhari. Tinubu is a Muslim.

“Osinbajo has his eyes set on becoming the president in 2023. There is no doubt about that. He has not come out directly but he is using some fronts as proxy. His belief is that the cabals in the presidency and those that matter in the North will not accept an Asiwaju Tinubu candidacy.

“Right now, some groups have started campaigning publicly for him and he did not restrain or disown them. Many people are not aware of this but the truth is that he has more or less relocated his base to Ogun State in Ikenne, thereby sending a signal that he is not a Lagosian.

“He has also set up some com­mittees to help him go round the country to assess the situation, his chances and the challenges he may face. He is also banking on the belief that the Christian community in Nigeria will solid­ly back him”, he said.

When asked how Osinbajo will cope given the fact that he has no political base especially in the South-West, our source said the only thing Osinbajo needs is the endorsement by President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu.

“It is wrong for anyone to say Osinbajo doesn’t have a po­litical base. Stop comparing the Osinbajo of today with the one that was Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos then. Do you know what it means to be the number two man in Nigeria? I think it is childish for anyone to say that a man who has been in office as vice president for more than six years and had also served as act­ing president doesn’t have politi­cal base. He has political base not just in the South-West but across the country".

“The only thing he needs is the endorsement by President Buhari and blessings of Asiwa­ju. He may not get that of Asiwa­ju given the current situation but if President Buhari, who is truly the leader of the party anoints him, everyone including Asiwa­ju will fall in line”, he said.

When contacted, Laolu Akande, spokesperson to the vice president, said his principal had issued several statements that he is not focused on 2023 right now and that his position remains unchanged.

In one of the statements, Osinbajo had said he has not declared any interest what soever in the 2023 election, but he is rather focused on working in his capacity as vice president in the Buhari administration to address all the compelling issues in the country.

However, a serving senator in the South-West said that he is confident that Tinubu will not contest in 2023.

“The question is, will Asiwa­ju run in 2023? I strongly believe that he is not going to run. All these activities by SWAGA and others are just to create anxiety in the system. He knows they will stand in his way and he won’t get the APC ticket. So, he won’t want to throw away his money by contesting.

“All what they are doing now is to charge up the polity so that at the end of the day, everybody will pander to him and he will have a say in whoever becomes the presidential candidate. I’m 99 percent certain that he is not going to run. You can take my words to the bank”, he noted.
https://independent.ng/2023-presidency-osinbajo-on-a-collision-course-with-tinubu-pushes-to-succeed-buhari/

Don't worry sell your land to your master

Will the North vote for a Southern Pastor against their own person? If APC field Osinbajo, PDP either field Atiku with an Igbo running mate or GEJ with somebody like Bala Mohammed of Bauchi as his running mate.

That is uncalled for, the tribal angle, I'm from Katsina state and I'm also a strong advocate for an Osibanjo Presidency. Osibanjo is not burdened by the moral and ethical baggage of Tinubu, no corruption accusations to hang around his neck, intellectually sound, a true 21st century individual while maintaining fear of God. Zulum is unrealistic, the people of Borno need him more than going to the Presidency and becoming a vice while he can directly touch the lives of his people as Governor.
The ideal VP is either Elrufai, SLS or Ganduje, the problem with Ganduje is the strong corruption accusations, however, an Osibanjo/SLS presidency will be brave and will counterbalance the religious tension in the country, people forget SLS is Khalifa of Tijaniyyah (Largest Muslim sect in Africa). The only problem is will SLS be comfortable being VP. Elrufai is another perfect candidate, however, accusations and utterances he made in the past might come back to haunt him. Though, it'll be a truly 21st century Presidency. I give 100% my support to any of the above.
Osibanjo/SLS or Osibanjo/Elrufai.

Sammy07:


Osibanjo or Fashola

I'm just confident that Tinubu no go run for 2023 election.
He's only playing the game. You don't make your move early

BTW, 2023 should be the first time we chase y
Fulani's out of power
President - Osibanjo - Yoruba
Vice - Zulum - Kanuri
S.P - Orji Kalu - Igbo
Speaker - Just give one S.S man

Osibanjo is a better candidate than tinubu

Sammy07:


Osibanjo or Fashola

I'm just confident that Tinubu no go run for 2023 election.
He's only playing the game. You don't make your move early

BTW, 2023 should be the first time we chase y
Fulani's out of power
President - Osibanjo - Yoruba
Vice - Zulum - Kanuri
S.P - Orji Kalu - Igbo
Speaker - Just give one S.S man

Brilliant.

Two elephants wan fight now. Ok

I'm very sure that even buhari will not like to hand over to tinubu

I'll choose osibanjo over atiku or Tinubu

Sammy07:


Who are the we?
Speak for yourself, you ain't Yoruba

you won't be among the delegates that will votes in APC primary.

If at all Osibanjo or Fashola loose out and Tinubu in.
We Yorubas will gladly vote him over any northerner

Get that into your head.

It will be an easy win for Atiku should APC fields Tinubu for 2023 because the northern factor will surely comes to play

Motivational speaker vs drug kingpin

JUST WATCH THEIR BODY LANGUAGES. OSINBAJO LOOKS WISER, MORE ATTENTIVE, MORE EXPERIENCED AND MORE FOCUSED. BUHARI SAW THESE QUALITIES IN HIM WHEN HE PREFERRED HIM AS VP TO TINUBU.

Too bad for them

The North will pitch Tinubu and Osibanjo against each other and the both of them will cancel each other out, and then a northerner will be made president.

Also, I wonder why any sane person will support Tinubu. When will Nigerians ever have sense?

Osinbajo is the man for the job.

Osinbajo is a lesser devil than Tinubu

With everything going on in this country what's making the news is budget that they will loot and who will come and finish Nigeria come 2023 hmmmmm chai if u no get money for Nigeria na yawa u dey

as long as it will be a yoruba man that will destroy Igbos am good

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE HIMSELF A LAMB FOR SACRIFICE.

Aufbauh:
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) is the people's choice!
He fits into all the criteria required for a cosmopolitan candidate that should succeed Mr.Buhari.
He'll be widely accepted by all than Jagaban, as the latter is being perceived as a brutal core party man in the opposition cycle.

The odds and tides are obviously against Jagaban as he has outdone himself already in the polity.

So that he will finally sink the nation abi? Can that man say no to cabals ? He no fit na.. He no get that guts.. As far as m concerned there is no good candidate on ground.. Na old thieves still wan go there,which is not good for Nigeria at all..

Sammy07:


Osibanjo or Fashola

I'm just confident that Tinubu no go run for 2023 election.
He's only playing the game. You don't make your move early

BTW, 2023 should be the first time we chase y
Fulani's out of power
President - Osibanjo - Yoruba
Vice - Zulum - Kanuri
S.P - Orji Kalu - Igbo
Speaker - Just give one S.S man

I am not also sure Tinubu has any plan to vie for 2023 presidency

Even if he doesn't move to become president, he will be moved

The cabals are very tactical , they need someone they can manipulate, they can’t manipulate Tinubu, but osibanjo is a good candidate in the eyes of the cabals he has really behaved himself, but the cabals will be a shocker that Osibanjo can not be manipulated when he clinched onto power
My best bet is Osibanjo

All of them should just leave politics and let new set rule

helinues:


The way we go make use of Lagos- Ibadan express way media for the 2023 heh, we go make so many people More confused

i swear bro AWA lani media na

Osinbajo is a far better candidate than Tinubu! If not that Nigeria seems to be cursed to always produce misfits as presidents, why should any sane person compare the two men?

2023 will be interesting.

PrinceOfLagos:

Dis one don quickly backtrack from Tinubu

When I said Tinubu will soon be humiliated the second time , you thought I was joking

You have no idea what Buhari is planning

He will soon be disgraced

Cc Seunmsg

PrinceofLagos issokay nau ah-ah

Authoreety:
I'm very sure that even buhari will not like to hand over to tinubu

I'll choose osibanjo over atiku or Tinubu

You are damn right.
Buhari handed over APC to Tinubu and he almost destroyed it with his selfish ambitions. They had to take it back from him