- Safiu Kehinde
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has countered former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, over his comment on alleged torment of President Bola Tinubu by former Military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida.
Osinbajo had made the lighthearted comment during Babangida’s book launch last week.
He noted that Tinubu, who was then “tormented” by the military, including Babangida, was now present to celebrate one of his former adversaries.
“And then, of course, there’s a gentleman here who was an elected senator in 1992 because of Babangida’s transition programme,
“When Babangida annulled the 1993 election and General Abacha took over, dissolved the senate, that senator tried to reconstitute the senate in resistance to the dissolution.
“He was detained, charged to court, and later escaped into exile. Today, he is here, celebrating with his former tormentors—but as the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu.” Osinbajo said.
Reacting, during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme on Tuesday, Onanuga countered the claim, insisting that Babangida was, in fact, a major influence on Tinubu’s political journey.
“I think the former Vice President got it wrong. Babangida was not really a tormentor of President Tinubu.
“Don’t forget that in his own speech at the event, Tinubu acknowledged that Babangida inspired him to go into politics,” Onanuga said.
He explained that Babangida’s call for new-breed politicians in the late 1980s and early 1990s attracted several technocrats and private sector professionals, including Tinubu, into politics.
“The military president had talked about bringing in fresh faces, and many professionals, including Tinubu, heeded that call. So, he went there (the book launch) to pay homage,” Onanuga added.