Thursday 9th December 2021: The Osinbajo Grassroot Organisation has said that it has uncovered plans being fermented by some “unscrupulous element” to defame Vice President Yemi Osinbajo ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The group also added that the plans include smear campaign and character assassination of the vice president.
According to a statement signed by its National Convener, Ojo Sylvanus Foluso, and released to journalists on Wednesday.
The group stated, “It has come to our notice that some political jobbers led by a fellow in the House of Representatives have come together with an agenda to defame the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, so that they can give their candidate an edge.
“We have seen and been privy to some of these plans in the past but we have chosen to ignore him and his co-travelers. With the recent one, they are trying to embark upon we can no longer keep silent hence the need to issue this statement.
“We do not believe this is how to play politics. Let everyone who feels he is qualified for the position of President of Nigeria take his matter to the electorates. Let them put their qualifications before the people. Let them come up with a well-articulated programme and agenda to consolidate President Mohammadu Buhari’s legacy and move the country to another level.
“For anyone to think that the path for him to rise is to destroy another, destruction awaits such a person at the gate.
“We, therefore, want to sound a note of warning for the jobbers that if they attack Osinbajo we may be pushed to go after their principal as well. We however do not believe in the politics of mud-slinging. We do not even know why they fear so much a man who is yet to declare an interest in becoming President.
“For the fact that they think this Osinbajo is their only obstacle to power we shall heighten our pressure on him to harken to our call and enter the ring.
“Osinbajo is as qualified as any other Nigerian and his right is guaranteed under the law of this country to seek the highest office. We are not practicing monarchy whereby someone can be said not to have blue blood. The qualification for the office is very clear and Osibajo has this in abundance and it can not be questioned, doubted rubbished.
“This is specifically why he is most qualified at this time to assume the position of leadership in Nigeria after another man of integrity has completed his term. He is just, he is reliable, he is not greedy and he will not convert the commonwealth of Nigeria to his own and that of his family.
“So we call on you the hatchet man to sheath your sword so that you don’t bring opprobrium on whoever you may be working for. A word is enough for the wise.”