Former President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly did not support Yemi Osinbajo’s bid for the presidency in 2023, according to insights from the biography From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Charles Omole.
Gatekeepers News reports that Omole reports that Buhari’s reluctance stemmed primarily from the candidacy of President Bola Tinubu, whom Buhari regarded as a political benefactor to Osinbajo.
“I don’t know Osinbajo from anywhere; I met him only through Tinubu,” Buhari is quoted as saying by sources close to the late president.
The author explained that Tinubu’s emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer was seen as a reward for his pivotal role as a “political godfather” and “major financier” of the party.
Omole also noted that a “powerful cabal” within Buhari’s administration had an anti-Tinubu consensus and attempted to impose another candidate at the APC primary. However, Buhari’s strict adherence to rules and insistence on a free and fair process inadvertently thwarted the cabal’s plans, indirectly paving the way for Tinubu’s victory.
“Ironically, Buhari’s strict enforcement of the rules may have indirectly aided Tinubu, as Buhari’s fastidiousness repeatedly thwarted the cabal’s plans to impose another candidate,” Omole wrote, adding that Buhari personally opposed any consensus arrangement when informed of it.
Buhari was reportedly unimpressed with Osinbajo for merely informing him of his ambition rather than seeking advice or consultation.
“The president was quoted as having wondered how his vice-president could go against his benefactor in such an open way,” Omole wrote.
The biography also highlights Aisha Buhari’s influential role. Her open support for Tinubu’s candidacy reportedly irked the cabal, but she remained undeterred.
“Seeing her exuberance, Tinubu visited Aisha and asked for her assistance in organising the women’s campaign with his wife, Sen. Remi Tinubu. She agreed, and the APC Women’s Campaign Council was established,” Omole wrote.
