Why I Admire Odigie-Oyegun – Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday gave two reasons why he admires the former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun.

He made this known while speaking at the 80th birthday celebration of Oyegun, a former Edo State governor, in Abuja.

Those in attendance at the birthday celebration include, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, while Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, was the guest speaker.

Governors Godwin Obaseki of Edo; Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti; Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi; Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna; Simon Lalong of Plateau; Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano and Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State also attended the event.

Speaking at the event, Osinbajo gave reasons why he always admired the immediate past APC Chairman.

He said, “First is that somehow he has always been his own man charting his own course, sometimes making some real trouble. For example, when as a federal permanent secretary, he risked contempt proceedings when he refused to testify on principle.

“But almost always you find him on the right side of history; as a founding member of AD, member of NADECO, and founding member of the APC and its first chairman; one who led the party to its historic victory to unseat the ruling party (in 2015).

“But the second reason for my admiration is that somehow he manages to be so deep in the politics of Nigeria yet he doesn’t ever look like a politician. He sounds always like a fine, well-bred, well-spoken gentleman dragged into politics; but indeed he is a consummate politician and an astute strategist.”