6th October, 2016
Bello, an actor in the selection of Buhari’s running mate, disclosed that the process of Osinbajo’s nomination started immediately after Buhari emerged at the third National Convention of All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on December 11, 2014.
He gave account of how the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu nominated Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate in a statement he personally signed, noting that the account of Prof. John Paden, the author of Buhari’s authorised biography was not entirely true.
Paden had punctured a belief that Bola Tinubu influenced Osinbajo’s as Buhari’s running mate, noting that Buhari chose Osinbajo despite much pressure from Tinubu, who was allegedly interested in the position.
He wrote: “With Buhari coming from the north-west geopolitical zone, the vice-presidency had been ceded to the south-west geopolitical zone. Tinubu felt he should be the vice-presidential candidate.”
According to Bello , Nigerians were fed with half-truths by Paden on how Osibanjo became the Vice President, detailing how Tinubu summoned a meeting to decide who would be Buhari’s running mate the morning after the president emerged the APC candidate.
Bello named the party chieftains in attendance to include former APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, former Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake, Osinbajo and a renowned pastor.
He said: “I do not know how the author came about his story, but he totally got it wrong because what he wrote basically is based on falsehood that reeks of deliberate misinformation and mischief.”
He explained how he received a phone call from Asiwaju “to see him the morning after Buhari emerged the APC candidate. On my way to his house, I discovered that a car at a reasonable distance was that of former Lagos State Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake, who was, ostensibly, heading towards Asiwaju’s house in Ikoyi.
“Asiwaju must have called him too for that task that could be explained underneath. As soon as we arrived, Asiwaju quickly asked us to join him in his car as we headed to a Guest House. At the Guest House, former APC Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Osibajo and one renowned pastor joined us.
“At the meeting, Asiwaju related to us the urgent need to pick a Vice Presidential candidate for the APC. He advised that we immediately discard the idea of his being nominated for the vice-presidential slot as it was no longer possible to pick a muslim-muslim ticket.
“This, he reasoned, made sense if indeed we were to be realistic in our bid to defeat President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election. He reasoned that what was important and imperative at that time was to look for a good Christian nominee to complement President Mohammadu Buhari.
“I remember Baba Akande responded to his aversions that he would still have preferred that Asiwaju should be the running mate since it had been done before. Baba Akande was obviously referring to the MKO Abiola/ Babagana Kingibe nomination.”
Bello said Asiwaju responded by distinguishing “the political equation then from what was before us at that point in time. He foreclosed that scenario as this no longer possible. We all voiced our opinions, and at the end of the day, it was resolved that we had to get a Christian candidate.
“It was at this point that Asiwaju reminded us to be fast in coming up with an option because he felt other geographical zones are also jostling for same position, reiterating the need for the Southwest to get it as a must.”
While still thinking, Bello said Asiwaju himself came up with the choice of Osinbajo, who he said, Asiwaju described as a brilliant legal luminary, a committed progressive, and democrat.
“Having been married to late Obafemi Awolowo’s grand-daughter, it would not be a problem selling him to the old political establishment of southwest for acceptance. He asserted that Alake and myself having served in his cabinet could attest to the great works he did as Attorney General during his, Asiwaju’s administration as Governor of Lagos State.
“He also reasoned that the second major factor in favour of Osibajo was the fact that he is a strong Christian and one that he is already a Pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
“In the long run, Osibajo’s nomination was well received by all of us at that meeting and Professor Osibajo was asked to start detailing with us, further strategy sessions to which he brought out his laptop and we all commenced a brainstorming session.
“The rest of the discussion was to strategise on how to contain other likely opponents from the southwest zone before proceeding to Abuja to battle other regional zones in the coming nomination.
“The meeting did not finish until about 9.00pm when we returned to Asiwaju’s residence in Bourdillon. By the time we returned to his house, there were about six serving Governors already waiting to see him from different parts of Nigeria,” he said.
