Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has formally declared his intention to run for the 2023 Presidency on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He made the declaration on Monday morning in an address on various media platforms on why he wanted to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari.
Osinbajo appealed to the people to consider him for the coveted office of the President based on his wealth of experience and commitment to democratic norms.
He said he had come a long way having served as Justice Commissioner and Attorney-General of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and currently serving as Vice President since 2015.
Osinbajo’s declaration came few hours after he met with APC Governors at his official residence at Akinola Aguda House in the State House, Abuja.
The meeting on Sunday night at his Aguda House, Abuja official residence, was apparently for Muslim Iftar dinner but non-Muslim governors were also in attendance. The iftar dinner was attended by most northern APC governors.
It emerged last week that after the consultations Osinbajo was set to make a public announcement in the next couple of days.
He was expected to use Sunday’s meeting to finetune the move and secure the buy-in of the Progressives Governors’ Forum before the open declaration.
Towards this, he has already set up a campaign office in Wuse 2 in the Federal Capital.
The vice president felt the need to apprise the state chief executives of his decision to throw his hat in the ring for the APC presidential ticket, leveraging on his cordial relationship with the governors across parties and regions who he has led as the chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) in the last seven years.
He is said to be exploiting his good standing with the governors who he had helped their states to obtain loans.
Osinbajo was also said to be looking up to tap into the relationship he had developed with federal agencies where he is chairman and some of the governors are also directors.
A source close to the meeting said practically all the governors have been well disposed to him as the vice president over the years.
Some of the governors at the closed-door meeting included Nasir el-Rufa’i (Kaduna), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), who was earlier reported to have travelled to Saudi Arabia.
Besides the governors, Osinbajo has also continued his consultation with other critical party members, including members of the National Assembly.
The meeting with governors came after much speculation over his moves and several push-backs by his aides and close associates.
His spokesman, Laolu Akande, had rejected reports of the vice president’s impending declaration, often describing them as false and speculative.
It was learnt that Osinbajo has indeed been feeling the pulse of trusted stakeholders and is now convinced that it is time to make an announcement.
Before now, there have been doubts as to whether he would join the race, following the early declaration of the national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, who some have said he might not dare by seeking the same ticket.
However, Osinbajo has come under sustained pressure by his supporters who feel that as the incumbent vice president, he should have the right of first refusal over the APC 2023 ticket. Many groups have popped up in states across the country, projecting the vice president as the best man to succeed President Buhari.
