The office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has distanced itself from one Olugbenga Olaoye, a co-convener of ‘Osinbajo Think Tank’ for making reference to President Muhammadu Buhari’s health history.
Olaoye had in an interview on Arise Television said, “We cannot afford another sick President who will be traveling to London all the time as we currently have, we need someone who is mentally sound. The little time that Osinbajo spent to lead FEC was different. Things were moving.”
Read Also: Osinbajo seeks Senate APC Caucus support over presidential bid
Olaoye also said the president’s sickness had allowed some people to hijack the government.
But Osinbajo’s media aide Laolu Akande and political adviser Senator Babafemi Ojudu have separately disowned Olaoye.
Akande, responding on Twitter, said “Indeed this gentleman does not represent the VP nor the Office. His views are completely & totally his own. This particular opinion he has expressed on TV is deplorable and in bad taste. I am not even aware of the so-called Osinbajo Think Tank he purports to represent. Pls IGNORE
“Just so we are clear, the gentleman is Olugbenga Olaoye who was a guest on AriseTV Morning Show yesterday morning.”
In his own reaction, Ojudu said, “Our attention has been called to certain off-key representation of the Vice President, going to the media to assert opinions that run contrary to his views and persona.
“The Vice President is focused on his job, while seeking the ticket of our great party. He has been a loyal, dependable and hardworking partner in delivering the progressive promise of people centered good governance, devoid of guile, in the past seven years.
“We enjoin media houses and journalists to reach out to our office to ascertain the accreditation status of representatives of varying support groups, that have since sprung up across the country, in fervent support of the Vice President.
“While we appreciate the spontaneous support for the Vice President and the willingness of these support to express themselves in the media, there has been various representatives that have gone to the media as aides of the VP or his representatives, who were wrongly tagged so.
“We hope the media will be circumspect in tagging these voices, and carefully vet these claims in the future.
“We are committed to civil and reasoned discourse and debates, in the next few weeks, and must avoid any kind of negativity that is not in line with the vision and temperament of the Vice President.
“We wish Nigerians all the best and appreciate the fervent support thus far for His Excellency, the Vice President.”
