From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Supporters of Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential aspiration, have warned that no amount of falsehoods and blackmail against their principal will affect him from clinching the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The supporters raised the alarm that paid agents and loyalists of some aspirants have recently intensified the spread of falsehoods against the Vice President ahead of the APC presidential primary.
Director of Operations at The Progressive Project (TPP), the umbrella organization of all pro-Osinbajo support groups, Alhaji Usman Aliyu Usman, lamented that the paid agents and other supporters threatened by the candidacy of Osinbajo seem determined for a gutter fight which Osinbajo supporters can not join.
The group also dismissed the speculation that Osinbajo is planning to step down for Tinubu, insisting that he is still riding high in the race, just as they resolve not to interfere in some camps’ deliberate spread of illusion and untruths.
“One of our visible supporters, Prof Olusola Adeyeye, a two-term Senator who represented Osun Central Senatorial District between 2011 to 2019 made some weighty statements about the APC presidential primaries on Saturday and by Sunday, really baseless and mischievous anti-Osinbajo statements began circulating.
“Unfortunately, one of these came from Inuwa Bwala, an aide to Deputy Senate President, Senator Omo-Agege, who currently appears to moonlight as spokesman for the Bola Tinubu campaign.
“Specifically, without any proof, Bwala circulated a video clip with claims that Prof Osinbajo is ‘allegedly planning to step down for Asiwaju’; Bwala had no evidence and he ought to know better than going to town with such.”
“Without doubt, Prof Osinbajo is still riding high in the race and our decision not to interfere in some camps’ deliberate spread of illusion and untruths is only motivated by our genuine confidence in our candidate’s prospects.
“As stated long ago, no group linked to TPP will join any individual or group in playing gutter politics or smearing others but we need to unequivocally state that Osinbajo is not contemplating any measure of capitulation to any candidate.
“While we are sworn to total allegiance to the Constitution, patriotic values and the spirit of good sportsmanship, we denounce the misleading information and unbecoming tricks that some supporters in other presidential candidates’ camps embrace so eagerly.
“We denounce too, the baseless ad unhelpful information being randomly disseminated by the likes of Bwala. In the interest of the natuon and its democracy, TPP appeals to all aspirants and supporters at all levels to learn from the focused and principled campaign methods of Osinbajo and his supporters whose collective determination towards actualizing Nigeria’s enduring greatness is a cause that genuinely deserves the support of all patriots.
“We categorically debunk the spate of falsehoods against PYO’s candidature and we urge all Nigerian patriots to look forward to join us in the forthcoming celebrations on the day after APC presidential primaries,’ the TPP official stated.