- Over 90 delegates from across state endorse him
By Banji Ayoola
The presidential campaign of the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo was formally unveiled and launched on Saturday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, where 90 delegates from across the state’s 18 Local Government Areas on behalf of their people at the grassroots endorsed his aspiration.
Apart from the official delegates, five from each local government area, there were also representatives of indigenes of other South West States, Ebira, Igbo and Hausa communities in the state, among others who also adopted him.
In his welcome address at the occasion, the Director General, Osinbajo Campaign Council of Ondo State, Barrister Ifeolu Fasoranti thanked the delegates for resolving to support the aspiration of a man who, according to him, is passionately committed to selflessly governing a new Nigeria in the interest of all.
His address which was titled “Why His Excellency Prof Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be the APC Candidate in the 2023 Presidential Election,” was framed at the end by music megastar King Sunny Ade’s song: “Nigeria yi ti gbogbo wa ni, ko ma gbodo baje. Tori ko si’bomiran ti a le lo. Ajo o da bi ile. E je ka so’wo po k’a f’imo s’okan. Gbe e k’emi gbe e” (Nigeria is for all of us. It must not collapse. Because there is nowhere else for us to run to. Overseas is not like home. Let’s unite with one voice. Lift it, I will lift it.)
Fasoranti said the delegates and other compatriots from across the country were invited to jointly discuss Osinbajo’s presidential aspiration and expected candidature in the forthcoming elections, stressing that the gathering was essentially to signal off the beginning of the rebirth of a new Nigeria that will flourish in justice, peace, selfless love, harmony and joy for all the people of the country without discrimination.
In his words: “Please let it be known that the Osinbajo Presidential Campaign Project, to which many prominent elder-statesmen and fathers of this country, notable selfless and patriotic leaders and fellow compatriots are already committed, is an assignment for everyone that prays for the good of this country.
“It is not a job for politicians alone. It is for all technocrats, artisans, politicians, market women, students, all and sundry, and for all who want and pray for the goodness of Nigeria at this auspicious time.
Humbly, I hereby formally present to you the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria whom we are urging to seek the nomination of our Great Party’s ticket in the 2023 Presidential Election.
“He is a man that is capable, that has been tested, that is totally detribalized, and brilliant; a man that we can joyfully hold on to as our President, who can raise our flag among the committee of nations and Nigerians will be proud that their President is there; a man that can take it further from where His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari would stop in 2023.
“He is a professor of Law, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He was the Attorney General of Lagos State for eight years, and up till now he has been a man without blemish. He is a man that has the fear of God in his mind, a man that is full of humility.
“So we hope that if all of us can rally round him, he will give hope to the hopeless, to so many Nigerians wallowing in abject poverty, to so many who do not even have focus of what to do. So many are hopeless; so many graduates are out there without really knowing where to go or what to do.
“We believe that the system will work well with His Excellency Prof Yemi Osinbajo the Vice President as President and that our teeming youths will have hope; and there will be light at the end of the dark tunnel.
“Without trying to ruffle feathers, we believe that he has the energy, he is brilliant, hardworking and he understands the system. It takes a man that understands the system and an energetic man, a serious minded man to be able to drive the country Nigeria as a nation. For it takes a man who wants to sacrifice himself, his time and resources to salvage Nigeria not because of what he wants to gain.
“We believe that he is going to be selfless; he is going to balance the equation. We believe that as President, Prof Osinbajo, SAN, will harness all the resources, and re-jig the system to work towards the interest of Nigeria rather than the interest of individuals. That is our hope.”
Fasoranti said: “With his vast experiences in the academics, Law, governance and administration, Prof Osinbajo has fashioned out many programmes that will effectively address the challenges confronting this nation. In every civilized country, the first thing is the guarantee of peace, the safety of lives and properties.
“Two, there is the economic dynamics of the country, getting our people to look inward in terms of what they can do to boost the economy rather than being egocentric.
“I could remember that for a short time that he served as Acting President, the Naira was stabilized against the Dollar; and he took some steps in national interest that Nigerians were happy all over.
“It wasn’t about Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani or any other ethnic group in the country. All the decisions he had taken, had been in national interest.
“Prof Osinbajo, a totally detribalized man, selfless, will no doubt be a bridge between the old and the new, between the North and the South, between the East and the West. He will be a connecting valve among all religious beliefs.
“We believe that going forward, if he is in the saddle himself, this is the best God-given opportunity at this auspicious time to re-establish Nigeria’s leadership in Africa and among the Comity of nations globally.”
He said: “Here we have a man of proven credibility, a man of intellectual savvy, a professor of Law, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a man that fears God, a proponent of The Young Can Rule, a man that believes that the succession of this Country can be done by young people, a man that has his eyes on the future, a man that has his hands on the plough, a man that is determined to place Nigeria on a credible note among the Comity of nations.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is high time we jerk up our values by placing more values on quality representation that will in turn affect our values and credibility both in Africa and globally.”
On why the Ondo was chosen as the campaign’s take-off, the DG said: “We are kicking off this project here in view of the commendable role that Ondo State particularly has been playing in the political history of our Great Country; and we are asking our great people across the Sunshine State to be in the vanguard of the campaign for the election of His Excellency, Prof Yemi Osinbajo as Nigeria’s next President. It is that same role that I will implore our people to come together to play in this project.
“The Action Group was launched here in Ondo State precisely in Owo. Ondo State has been at the forefront of South West politics based on principle, truthfulness and credible participation. Our politics has never been based on what they call “chop I chop.”
“Based on this, our choice of the Vice President Osinbajo becoming President is based on that principle that he will drive the economy of this country aright and he will be totally detribalized that everything he will be doing will be in the interest of Nigeria but not in the interest of one tribe or individuals.
“He will drive the economy of this country and bring us to an enviable position among the committee of nations.”
He said: “I was in Kano where over 28 groups all over the country came together to adopt one single name and called it the New Tribe.
“The New Tribe means a country that will be totally detribalized, where we will not be asking where the President is from, a country that will work together in the interest of one nation, that will believe in one destiny, where a Yoruba or an Igbo man will see the Hausa man as his brother, where an Igbo man will not look down on a Hausa man, where a Hausa man will not hate an Igbo man, where the Ijaws will not believe that somebody in the Middle Belt is their enemy, where somebody in the Middle Belt will not feel that somebody is enslaving them, where we will see ourselves as brothers and sisters irrespective of religion, tribe or level of education.
“We took that decision in Kano and it is that same spirit of unification of all groups that we are bringing to Ondo State, that all of us come together. No doubt there are pockets of individuals that believe in Prof Yemi Osinbajo’s dreams and aspirations, but there was no platform. All these groups will come together.
“We will work together assiduously to ensure that the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo gets the ticket of the APC.
“For your information, anywhere you go now in this Country, his issue is being discussed. People see him as someone who will be the best candidate and the best President for Nigeria, the only person entitled to the choice of first refusal according to the basic philosophy and principle of Law.
“These are the people we want to bring together. Some do not even have any political party. This is going to be a mass movement in support of the Vice President.”
Fasoranti said: “Many people are hopeless. They want a way out. They want to have hope in Nigeria. But driving it, we need an energetic leader, a fearless leader, a truthful leader, a conscienced leader, somebody with vision and focus, somebody with brain and large heart, somebody that can be an epitome of good conscience to lead Nigeria.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I call him the Ark of Noah. This is an opportunity. Many young men are watching the system closely. You can see the menace, the rate at which young men are getting themselves killed. You can see the frustrations. You can see the rate at which people take drugs because of frustration and societal pressure.
“Let us try this young man that is committed. He has seen it all; a Professor of Law, a senior advocate, a truthful man. I know what it takes to become a lawyer because I am one. And for him to have dedicated himself to the service of the country with the fear of God in his mind, we will give him a trial.
“Even when he gets there, we will assist him with prayer for God to uphold him.”
He said that Nigeria needs prayer to survive as a country now all the people have to put “our hands on deck to support that which is right.” He added: “ It’s not about money. Money has failed individuals in Nigeria.
“The wealth of individuals does not amount to the wealth of our country Nigeria. Let there be opportunities for everybody. Let our people have hope. That is why we are out on this project.”
Fasoranti said: “I want to assure you that Prof Osinbajo has been moving across the country. He has been meeting leaders, traditional rulers, former Presidents, former military rulers and everybody. Even in recent time he was in Katsina to meet the mother of the late President Umaru Yar’adua.
“He has been meeting everybody across, not only in Yorubaland. He goes to the North and South. He is a totally detribalized man. He has been meeting people and discussing and he is getting endorsements all over. People want Nigeria to move forward and people believe that Osinbajo has the capacity.
“This is the Ark of Noah. Come in now before the rain starts. Let us move together to the Promised Land. Nigeria has a very bright future. I can see a ray of hope. I can see light at the end of the dark tunnel.
“Our children will not start running abroad to be slaves. They will not be desperate to start killing themselves. They will see the need to do that which is right. Our youths will no longer go into illegalities because they want to quickly make money to survive out of desperation. I see a ray of hope.
“I see light at the end of the dark tunnel with President Yemi Osinbajo.
“Ladies and gentlemen, once more I welcome all of you and want you to bare your mind so that we can all be on the same page.”
As recorded by Wikipedia, born into the family of Opeoluwa Osinbajo on March 8, 1957, Creek Hospital, Lagos, Osinbajo is married with children to Dolapo (née Soyode) Osinbajo, a grand daughter of the revered sage who was also the first Premier of the defunct Western Region and Yoruba Leader, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
He was educated at Corona Primary School, Lagos. He attended Igbobi College in Yaba, Lagos, from 1969 to 1975, where he won the following awards: the State Merit Award (1971); the School Prize for English Oratory (1972); Adeoba Prize for English Oratory (1972-1975); Elias Prize for Best Performance in History (WASC, 1973); School Prize for Literature (HSC, 1975); and African Statesman Intercollegiate Best Speaker’s Prize (1974).
Thereafter he studied for his undergraduate degree at the University of Lagos between 1975 and 1978, when he obtained a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) Degree in Law. Here, he also won the Graham-Douglas Prize for Commercial Law. In 1979, he completed the mandatory one-year professional training at the Nigerian Law School whereon he was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In 1980, he attended the London School of Economics, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree.
From 1979 to 1980, he served the compulsory one-year youth service as a legal officer with Bendel Development and Planning Authority (BDPA), Bendel State.
In 1981, he was employed as a law lecturer at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. From 1983 to 1986, he was a Senior Lecturer of Law at the University of Lagos. From 1988 to 1992, he was an Adviser (legal advice and litigation) to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Bola Ajibola. He began lecturing at the age of 23.
From 1997 to 1999 he was made Professor of Law and Head of Department of Public Law, University of Lagos.
From 1999 to 2007, he was a Member of Cabinet, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, also Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
In 2007, he was made Senior Partner at Simmons Cooper Partners (Barristers and Solicitors), Nigeria.
From 2007 to 2013 he was once again employed as a Professor of Law, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos. He was also a Senior lecturer at Lagos State University.
Osinbajo has been a Staff Member, United Nations Operations in Somalia, Justice Division, UNOSOM II; Member, United Nations Secretary General’s Committee of Experts on Conduct and Discipline of UN, Peacekeeping Personnel around the globe Member, 2006 and Partner in the law firm of Osinbajo, Kukoyi & Adokpaye. He is the Pastor in charge of the Lagos Province 48 (Olive Tree provincial headquarters) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
After the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, he was tasked with other notable Nigerians to design and produce a manifesto for the new political party. This culminated in the presentation of the “Roadmap to a New Nigeria”, a document published by APC as its manifesto if elected to power. The highlights of the Roadmap included a free schools meal plan, a conditional cash transfer to the 25 million poorest Nigerians if they enroll children in school and immunise them. There were also a number of programs designed to create economic opportunities for Nigeria’s massive youth population.
On December 17, 2014 the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, then retired General Muhammadu Buhari, announced Osinbajo as his running mate and vice-presidential candidate for the 2015 general elections. During the 2014/2015 campaigns of the All progressives Congress, Osinbajo held numerous town hall meetings across the country as against the popular rallies that many Nigerians and their politicians were used to.
One of his campaign promises, which he has recently reiterated, was the plan to feed a school child a meal per day. Beyond feeding the school children, he has recently emphasized that this plan will create jobs (another campaign promise) for those who will make it happen.
On March 31, 2015, Buhari was confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the presidential elections. Thus, Osinbajo became the Vice President-elect of Nigeria. They were both sworn in on 29 May 2015. On 17 August 2017 VP Yemi Osibanjo described hate speech as a species of terrorism.
For his second tenure, he assumed office as Vice President after taking the oath of office on 29 May 2015 at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
Osinbajo has received several awards including: State Merit Award 1971; the School Prize for English Oratory, 1972; Adeoba Prize for English Oratory 1972–1975; Elias Prize for Best Performance in History (WASC) 1973; School Prize for Literature (HSC), 1975; and African Statesman Intercollegiate Best Speaker’s Prize, 1974. Besides, President Goodluck Jonathan conferred on Osinbajo the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on 28 May 2015.
He is a member of the following professional bodies: Nigerian Bar Association; International Bar Association; Nigerian Body of Benchers; Council of Legal Education in Nigeria and Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
He has published many books and contributed to several others.
