Babafemi Ojudu, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has refuted claims in a new biography that late President Muhammadu Buhari opposed Osinbajo’s bid for the presidency in 2023.

Ojudu described the book’s accounts as “mischievous” and based on “hearsay,” insisting that Buhari expressed unequivocal support for Osinbajo on multiple occasions.

The controversy stems from excerpts of Muhammadu Buhari: From Soldier to Statesman, authored by Dr. Charles Omole and unveiled on Monday.

In the book, Omole reportedly claims Buhari withheld support from Osinbajo primarily because President Bola Tinubu was also in the race, viewing Tinubu as Osinbajo’s political benefactor.

Omole quotes sources close to Buhari as saying the former president remarked, “I don’t know Osinbajo from anywhere; I met him only through Tinubu,” and found it “strange” that Osinbajo would contest against him.

The biography further alleges that Buhari was unimpressed with Osinbajo for merely informing him of his ambition rather than seeking advice.

He added that a “powerful cabal” within the administration plotted against Tinubu but was thwarted by Buhari’s insistence on a fair process.

“There was an anti-Tinubu consensus among the cabal. Ironically, Buhari’s strict enforcement of the rules may have indirectly aided Tinubu, as Buhari’s fastidiousness repeatedly thwarted the cabal’s plans to impose another candidate. His insistence on a free and fair process indirectly benefited Tinubu.

“The cabal aimed to impose a candidate at the APC primary, a plan that was halted by Buhari himself when he opposed it upon being informed of such a plan,” Omole wrote.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Thursday and titled “Setting the Record Straight on President Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s Presidential Bid,” Ojudu detailed his firsthand involvement in high-level discussions between Buhari and Osinbajo from 2016 to 2022.

He asserted that the succession issue was discussed at least four times, with Buhari offering clear support each time.

“At no time—explicitly or implicitly—did President Buhari suggest that Professor Osinbajo should refrain from contesting. At no time did he indicate a preference that the Vice President should defer to, step aside for, or subordinate his ambition to any other aspirant, including the eventual nominee of the party,” the ex-presidential aide wrote.

“On the first occasion, President Buhari advised the Vice President to reflect carefully on the prospects of a presidential bid, make up his mind, and assured him that he would support whatever decision he took.

“By the third discussion, President Buhari went further. In his considered judgment, he stated plainly that Professor Osinbajo was by far the best person for the job.

“He emphasised continuity and stability, noting that after nearly seven years in office the Vice President had: developed an intimate understanding of the workings of government, worked diligently and loyally, successfully acted as President on multiple occasions, and demonstrated the steadiness required to lead the country forward.”

He noted that Buhari reiterated more than once that he believed “Osinbajo’s candidature was best for continuity and stability, and he assured him that he would do all he reasonably could to support him.

“The fourth discussion took place shortly before friends and associates obtained the presidential nomination forms on the Vice President’s behalf. Once again, President Buhari expressed his full support, leaving no room for ambiguity as to his position.”

Ojudu emphasised that Buhari’s backing extended beyond private conversations.

During a Federal Executive Council meeting in the primary season, he said Buhari publicly commended Osinbajo’s campaigning efforts and advised him to consult governors and National Assembly leaders, advice he added that Osinbajo followed.

Additionally, Ojudu claimed that at least three governors met with Buhari separately, and each time, the former president affirmed Osinbajo as the “best man for the job.”

Criticizing Omole’s methodology, Ojudu accused the author of failing to consult key figures involved, calling the book “advocacy masquerading as biography” reliant on “grievance and one-sided recollection.”

“Anyone who sets out to write about the Buhari presidency—and about men and women who served closely and visibly for eight years—has a basic obligation to fairness and inquiry. That obligation includes giving those concerned the opportunity to state their own case.

“To embark on such a project without seeking their account is not serious scholarship or history. It is advocacy masquerading as biography.

“Only a hack would attempt to fix the record of a complex administration by relying on hearsay, grievance, and one-sided recollection while deliberately ignoring those who were central actors in the events being described,” he said. (PUNCH)

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