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Tuesday, April 26, 2022

It’ll be ‘betrayal, injustice’ to Nigeria if I don’t contest presidency: Osinbajo

The vice president said he was not ready to “retire quietly either to Lagos or Ikene and go and be writing my memoirs.”

• April 25, 2022
Yemi Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

On Monday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said it would be an injustice if he did not contest the 2023 election with his vast experience in the last seven years in office.

Mr Osinbajo, who said this when he visited Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, said retiring to Ikenne, his hometown, or Lagos would also betray Nigeria.

“I think It will be a betrayal to our country, to our nation, this is a nation that many people died for, people died for this country, if I, with all that has been given to me by the grace of God, retire quietly either to Lagos or Ikene and go and be writing my memoirs.

“It will be great injustice to our country, that is why I throw my hat in the ring and ensure I make the best case for the position ofPresident of Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

The vice president hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s open-mindedness in delegating serious tasks that had aided his experience.

He said that God puts people in power but noted that it would be a betrayal of his country for him to retire with all his exposure in government.

“There is nobody that can bear anything God does not decide that he would be, only God can make a person president, vice president, governor, anything whatsoever.

“President Muhammadu Buhari, just out of his open-mindedness and his own generosity ensured that I was given very serious responsibilities as vice president and I also acted as president.

“In those capacities, I got to know so many things that most people will never come across, even people in government will never come across, and I gained a lot of experience on that account.

“Many times the president, when he was away, said pointedly to me that look, I don’t want to feter your discretion in any way, as acting president, you are president, just make sure you are fair and just, don’t refer anything to me, don’t ask me any questions, just do whatever you need to do,” he said.

(NAN) 

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