By James Orji
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will not attend a meeting convened by some south west leaders for presidential aspirants from the zone scheduled for Friday. The meeting was, arranged last week by former Governor of Osun state, Chief Bisi Akande and other Yoruba leaders with the intension of pruning down the number of aspirants and brightening the chances of the region in next year’s presidential election.
Some presidential hopefuls from the South west include Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Osinbajo, Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, former governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who is the latest aspirant to show interest in the race after declaring to run Thursday, amongst others.
Since announcement about the meeting was made last week, there were clear signals that some notable presidential aspirants will not attend, following watchers of events in the zone said the meeting was clearly “an APC affair” to drum up support for Tinubu, the party’s National Leader.
“The meeting should have been convened by traditional and religious leaders from the region, rather than Akande who is clearly an APC stalwart having held the position of APC National chairman at a point. It was clearly a mistake on the part of these leaders, and it’s not a su9 that the whole thing has fallen apart before it even started” , a source said on Friday.
Speaking on why Osinbajo will not attend the meeting, Kayode Ajulo, leader of pro- Osinbajo group, Progressives Lawyers for Osinbajo, PLO said his principal will not attend the meeting expected to take place at Lagos House, Marina today.
According to him, the meeting is a ploy to endorse Tinubu as the preferred candidate from the zone by Akande and others, through the back door. He said Osinbajo will not be cornered to drop his ambition for anyone, describing the venue of the meeting and conveners at root soldiers of Tinubu.
“The attention of the Progressive Lawyers for Osinbajo, PLO, has been drawn to a proposed meeting by some leaders of the APC in South West for the APC presidential aspirants of South West extraction slated to hold today, at State House, Marina, Lagos,” Ajulo said in a statement on Thursday.
The rights activist said further that, “We want to commend this initiative which we believe was borne out of our earlier call on the Yoruba leaders to hold a strategic conference to provide direction towards the fate of the South West in the coming presidential election.
“While it is our utmost desire that such an important meeting be conveyed to establish a consensus harmony among the aspirants of the APC in South West, we want to state clearly that it should be designed appropriately to promote fairness.
“This scheduled meeting should have been a welcome development but for the following configurations which were not rightfully designed.
“The composition of personality invited for this meeting is a testament to our position that the meeting is a sectional affair of the APC and clearly not in the interest of the southwest and Nigeria.
“The Choice of Venue: Lagos Flag House in Marina, Lagos belongs to Lagos State and associates. This venue should not play host to such a meeting if it will be adjudged to be credible and fair. The meeting, if it is for the collective good of the people, should be held at neutral locations like Ibadan, Oyo State or Akure, Ondo State.”
He questioned the motive behind the meeting, noting that the conveners did not have a clear agenda as to what they want to achieve other than a premeditated plan to throw up a particular candidate for the election.
“We can state for a fact that the motive of this meeting is inexplicit and undefined to many of the invited aspirants as most of them were never engaged. How the meeting is conveyed like a secret proceeding shows that the conveners have no defined agenda productive enough to be for the benefit of all.
“Information at our disposal has it that a communiqué has already been prepared, and in favour of a particular aspirant. This document is currently in circulation among some of the invitees.
“The above-stated positions have lent credence to the incredibility of the proposed meeting as well as the unreliability of same as a compass for the Southwest in the 2023 presidential election.
“We want to reiterate in clear terms that our recent call was directed at notable, respected and apolitical Yoruba leaders, who are genuinely interested in the development of the South West and Nigeria; leaders who patriotically and tenaciously hold on to the history and heritage of Yorubaland and the upliftment of the masses against inordinate personal gains.
“It is undoubted and without gainsaying that the meeting as conveyed with a prewritten communiqué without the inclusion of notable statesmen on the list of invitees is premeditated and planned to serve a purpose which will not be beneficial to the southwest and Nigeria,” Ajulo said.
