Tinubu, Amosun, Aregbesola and myself birthed Osinbajo’s emergence as Buhari’s running mate – Pa Bisi Akande

The pioneer Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bisi Akande has revealed that it was Tinubu, Amosun, Aregbesola and himself who made Prof. Osinbajo the running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari after Tinubu’s vice presidential aspiration halted. 

Pa Bisi Akande who was the pioneer Chairman of the All Progressives Congress was nominated from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) bloc of the party. ACN had donimated the South-West prior the merger in 2013. Both Aregbesola and Amosun were governor under the party while Amosun was regarded as the closest ally of Buhari from the region. 

While delivering his speech at his book launch titled “my participation” in Victoria Island, Lagos yesterday, Chief Bisi Akande made it known that it was a collective effort of the Action Congress of Nigeria bloc led by Amosun and Aregbesola that submitted Osinbajo’s name to Buhari. 

ALSO READ: Buhari Promised To Pick Tinubu As Running Mate In 2015, Then Reneged— Chief Bisi Akande

‘We negotiated with Buhari in 2011 and gave him a name to choose instead of Pastor Bakare,’ I spoke to Tinubu on phone. ‘Who was that person?’ l asked. 

‘It was Yemi Osinbajo,’ Tinubu declared. I asked Aregbesola to find out where Osinbajo was. He called him on the phone. ‘Yemi, where are you? 

‘Don’t you know your case is coming up tomorrow?’ ‘l am in Abuja to argue your case.’ Osinbajo answered at the other end. ‘Which hotel are you staying?” Osinbajo told him. 

ALSO READ: Osinbajo’s Road To Abuja: The Untold Story By Olawale Olaleye 

“I got a blank sheet of paper and wrote Yemi Osinbajo on it. I instructed Amosun and Aregbesola to deliver that note to Buhari immediately. It was almost midnight. Then the two of them left.” 

He continued: “I was waiting for Buhari to call me after he must have received my message. He did not. It was Tinubu who came to me at the wee hour of the morning. He was not in a good mood and was worried that Buhari might visit our efforts with bad faith. 

“Let us go back to Lagos”, he said. Why? I asked. “Maybe Buhari has his own agenda,” he said. Even if we give him a name , he might not use the person. Maybe he just want to use us for whatever his agenda might be.” 

“I reassured him that Buhari will not disappoint us and that he would agree with our choice as the vice presidential candidate of our party”, Akande concluded.