Buhari Neither Wanted Tinubu Nor Osinbajo As Successor – Ojudu

A former Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, has claimed that former President Muhammadu Buhari never supported the presidential ambition of his then Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Ojudu also said Buhari did not back the current President, Bola Tinubu, despite their friendship and political alliance, but that Tinubu “outmaneuvered him in several ways.”

He spoke during his appearance on Edmund Obilo’s State Affairs podcast on Monday.

Ojudu, who served in the office of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, also said his former principal could have performed significantly better than the current president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Recall that during the APC primary prior to the 2023 elections, Bola Tinubu secured 1,271 votes to clinch the party’s presidential ticket, while former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi garnered 316 votes. Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo got 235 votes, finishing third, while Senate President Ahmed Lawan got 152 votes.

Ojudu said, “I knew Osinbajo was going to lose the primary, I saw it coming. Because of the system we operated and still operating, I kept saying at our meeting that all of the efforts we are making like traveling around, convincing people, and addressing delegates is only 40 percent.

“60 percent of it lies in Buhari’s hands unless and until Buhari mobilises people around him, the governors, his aides, we are going nowhere.

“I used to refer to Buhari as one-man majority and he never mobilised his team towards Osinbajo and I think Tinubu outsmarted him in so many different ways.”

Speaking further, he likened the failure to elect Professor Yemi Osinbajo during the last presidential election to missing a second chance at the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“Osinbajo would have been good for this country. For me, it is like losing Awolowo for a second time because he was at Awolowo’s level in terms of capacity, ability, dedication and commitment.