…Berates Vice-President Osinbajo For His Undignifying Silence
A South-west pressure group, Sunshine Liberation Movement (SLM), has expressed disappointment with top politicians who were raised to leadership positions by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, “in the way they are now playing Judas”.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and the National Leader of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), recently declared his presidential ambition.
The group in a statement by its coordinator, Elder Dipo Ajidahun, particularly expressed disappointment in Special Adviser to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Political Matters, Mr. Babafemi Ojudu, and some other South-west politicians in the Presidency, describing them as “mid-day turncoats”.
Ojudu has particularly declared in publications that he would not back the presidential ambition of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
However, he is widely known to have gained tremendous supports from Tinubu both in his journalism career and political sojourns.
“It is soul-wrenching to see people like Ojudu behaving like a lap-dog who wags tail for anyone feeding it at a particular moment.
“For whatever it is, the fact that Tinubu raised him (Ojudu) from the floor to put him on top in terms of career growth and political progression should not make the first set of stones thrown at Tinubu to come from him.
“Indeed, looking at the words expressed against Tinubu by these men, one should tender unreserved apologies to Judas Iscariot in his grave, for how we vilify him so much in the way he betrayed Jesus Christ.
“There is no doubting that this act is worse than Judas’ and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that he has now clinched himself to, should be wary of him,” Ajidahun warned.
The group’s coordinator further expressed disappointment with Works and Housing Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, and his Interior counterpart, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in the way “they are letting Asiwaju down”.
“These are the people Tinubu sacrificed all for, to ensure that they occupy various strategic positions in Nigeria.
“But now, when it is time for Tinubu to go for president-after several denials, it’s his ‘boys’ that are out to prevent him. And sadly, these are Yoruba people and it is disgusting that Yoruba politicians are yet to learn from history.
“When Chief Obafemi Awolowo wanted to become prime minister and later president, it was his boys in Yorubaland that betrayed him on each occasion; same with Chief MKO Abiola.
“Have they ever seen any Hausa or Igbo man engage in this kind of rage of envy against their kinsmen trying to climb up the society’s ladder? Oh, I feel sorry for the Yoruba race!
“When are we going to desist from this attitude of betrayal, of playing Judas?” Ajidahun lamented.
Besides, Ajidahun, the activist expressed disappointment in Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for keeping silence in the face of disruptive political utterances and activities by persons claiming to be working for his presidential ambition.
“Why can’t Osinbajo come out and take a decision on his touted presidential ambition? At least while Alhaji Abubakar Atiku was Vice President, he came out to say he wanted to succeed his boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Nobody fought Atiku for taking his decision. If not for mischief, one wonders why VP Osinbajo is allowing some people to heat up the system in his name,” Ajidahun posited.
He stressed that the country is currently facing a myriad of problems, raging from insecurity to dwindling economy, and that Nigerians are keen that new hands should take over the affairs of the country come next year.
“At least, for these challenges, if the APC hopes to retain power, it should come into consultation among its stakeholders and plan to field new hands for the next election.
“Tinubu, for instance, from available records, excelled in his eight-year governance over Lagos and it is for ever a reference point.
“We therefore wonder why such a man should be subjected to unfair attacks, surprisingly by those he helped raise up, simply because he wants to be President,” Ajidahun quipped.
