A support group of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Democratic Reformers, has alleged the sponsorship of a smear campaign aimed at dirtying the image of the legal professor as a religious bigot, with an unnamed controversial academician, allegedly as the arrow-head of the campaign.
In a statement, the coordinator, Democratic Reformers, Alhaji Dada Adetigba in Lagos State said: “This infamous academician who is threading discredited conspiracy theories on several government actors including President Muhammadu Buhari, authored a recent article in which he speculated moves by the Redeemed Christian Church of God to mobilize support for the vice president’s presidential bid.
“His basis for the speculation was an internal memo purportedly from the religious organization announcing the creation of an office of the Directorate of Politics and Governance and the appointment of a provincial officer for the purpose. The memo makes no mention of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and this hired blackmailer offers no proof to corroborate his specious claims.”
In response, the Democratic Reformers says the blackmailer’s “biased reading” of the memo stems from his “sponsored obsession” with the Vice President and an attempt to distract from the progressive debate on 2023 which favours a “detribalized, open-minded, and forward-looking leader like Prof. Osinbajo.”
Other parts of the statement read: “It’s shameful that this blackmailer has continued to lend himself to deplorable hatchet jobs meant to muddy the waters of 2023 because some people believe that is the only way their retrograde and unproductive ideas can thrive.
“His biased reading of the memo in circulation, and the following wild claims he built on the deliberate distortion, reveals his role as a chief player in a blackmail exercise commissioned to smear and force Prof. Osinbajo to bow out of the presidential race.
“It doesn’t take the intelligence of a genius, or a doctorate’s degree apparently, to understand that the political configuration of Nigeria makes it impossible for Prof. Osinbajo to win based only on the votes of Christians. This is in addition to the fact that it is equally impossible to corral all RCCG members into one party or their votes for one candidate. Any suggestion of such a move is infantile and at odds with common sense.
“All parties are represented in RCCG, just like presidential candidates have supporters amongst RCCG members. That however should stop the church or any group to encourage their members to participate actively in the politics of their nation, as the memo ought to reasonably suggest to a fair-minded reader.
“We see this smear campaign as a distraction, and we call on Nigerians to join hands in order to get a restructured, secular Nigeria led by conscientious leaders like Prof. Osinbajo imbued with values focused on delivering the greatest good for the greatest number of citizens.
“His public service actions are a matter of public records. He has no history of bias towards anyone on the basis of religion or ethnicity. He is one of the few Nigerians who embrace the country’s diversity as a source of strength and has conducted himself admirably in furthering the vision, despite the best efforts of hired merchants to distort and offer a misleading portrayal of his actions.”