A veteran journalist, Mustapha Ogunsakin, has said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo rejected former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s offer to become the Attorney-General of the Federation in 2005 and stayed with Tinubu as a commissioner.
Ogunsakin revealed this while addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, asserting that Osinbajo served eight years as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State during Tinubu’s administration of 1999 to 2007.
This is coming after series of accusations and counter-accusations questioning the Vice President’s loyalty to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the declaration of the former to challenge the latter in the presidential primary.
Individuals loyal to Tinubu had said it was the highest level of betrayal for Osinbajo to contest against his former boss.
Reacting, Ogunsakin said: “In 2005, President Obasanjo invited Osinbajo to take appointment as the Attorney-General of the Federation after Chief Akin Olujimi left office. Obasanjo saw the sterling qualities and performance that Osinbajo had as Attorney General of Lagos.
“The president without informing Bola Tinubu, the then Lagos State Governor, offered the post to Osinbajo who was then Lagos State Attorney-General. The first thing Osinbajo did was to inform his principal, Tinubu, who gave him a free hand to take his decision.”
He revealed that the lawyer therefore made a request to Obasanjo to release Lagos State Council funds, but he refused.
“Obasanjo replied that Osinbajo should first take the appointment and then advise him as Attorney-General of the Federation on the matter. Osinbajo went underground and for weeks Obasanjo could no longer reach him.
“It was obvious to the then President that Osinbajo deliberately avoided him; he went on to appoint Chief Bayo Ojo as his Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
“Osinbajo rejected the position of Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and stayed with Tinubu; nobody complained then. He did not betray Tinubu then.
“But now when it is convenient for them, some political and religious bigots are shouting betrayal! Everyone knows that if you want to hear the story of how your father met your mother, join politics,” Ogunsakin added..