2023: Osinbajo Speaks On His 2023 Presidential Ambition

Laolu Akande, the spokesperson to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday, revealed why his boss has become a political target due to the position he holds as the next man in command after President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice-President noted that his principal has not ambitioned ahead of the 2023 general elections but to remain focus in supporting the President to achieve his goals.

Akande while speaking during a live chat with Dele Momodu on Instagram, stated that Osinbajo would not be distracted by ‘false’ reports and ‘lies’ circulating in the media of late.

The spokesperson in his statement revealed that individuals with despicable agendas are to damage the image of the vice president with ridiculous stories.

Akande while reacting to the allegation levelled against Osinbajo on collecting N4bn from the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, said, “It is ridiculous and incredible some of the types of stories that are out there. What I have found out is that being the vice-president and being a very active vice-president that understands how to connect with the people, that rising profile itself, in a political atmosphere that is extremely murky, I think those who have all kinds of unscrupulous ideas, people with despicable agenda have reasons to try to smear the person that is holding that office.”

“Like I said, because of the position that he holds, next to the President and because of all the kinds of imaginations that people have to think about him, I think, up to a point, he has become a kind of a political target.”

The Vice President’s spokesperson when asked if the attacks are against the 2023 ambition of the vice president, he said, “Personally, I don’t have a doubt in my mind that there are people who have political objectives who might consider him (Osinbajo) a threat. But what I like to tell Nigerians is, I’m his spokesperson and all I know he wants to do is to do this job that he has been given very well and he doesn’t have any other plans right now about any such thing. I can tell you that clearly.”

“He has said to me several times, see Laolu, this is not a monarchy, we are going to be here for four or at best eight years, let’s just focus and do the work so that when we are gone, people will say we did this and that. So, he is entirely consumed with the job. I’m his spokesperson and we have not talked about what he is going to do in 2023. What’s the point?”

Akande further stated that the objective of the ‘fake news’ is to cause confusion and distraction but his principal would remain unfazed.

“Part of the objectives of some of these attacks is to distract him. But he will not be distracted. The goal is to bring confusion but he is not distracted.”

“The vice president is not talking to anybody about 2023. He is not thinking about it. He is focused on the job that the president has handed over to him and he just wants to support the president to deliver his goals,” he added.