‘Buhari Offered to Support Osinbajo Four Times’ — Laolu Akande Counters Babachir Lawal

Laolu Akande, former spokesperson to ex-Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, has challenged claims by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, that the late President Muhammadu Buhari considered Osinbajo’s presidential ambition inappropriate.

Akande, who served as Osinbajo’s spokesperson from 2015 to 2023, said Buhari personally offered to support the former vice-president’s ambition on at least four separate occasions ahead of the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary.

In a statement on Saturday, Akande described Lawal’s account as false, saying his direct involvement in the former vice-president’s office gave him first-hand knowledge of the events in question.

“On at least four separate occasions, President Buhari personally offered to support the Vice-President, telling him plainly: ‘If I don’t support you, who will I support?’” Akande said.

He also recalled that Buhari publicly commended Osinbajo at a Federal Executive Council meeting in 2022 for conducting what he described as a dignified, issues-based campaign across the country.

Akande argued that the former president’s reported statements and conduct contradicted Lawal’s claim that Buhari considered Osinbajo’s decision to contest against President Bola Tinubu “highly immoral and distasteful.”

Lawal had made the allegation in a recent interview with Symfoni TV, saying Buhari’s longstanding relationship with Tinubu influenced his likely position on Osinbajo’s ambition. Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, won the APC presidential ticket in 2022 and went on to win the 2023 general election.

Akande also disputed Lawal’s account of a memo allegedly containing more than 20 names proposed for appointments in the Office of the Vice-President. Lawal had claimed that the memo was delayed before he personally presented it to Buhari for approval.

Akande described the account as a fabrication, insisting that no such consolidated memo existed. He said staff appointments were submitted through separate memos at different times.

He further rejected the allegation that Osinbajo favoured members of his church in appointments, arguing that the vice-president’s office included Nigerians from different regions and religious backgrounds.

Akande also questioned Lawal’s timeline concerning the alleged delay, noting that he and several colleagues resumed work in the vice-president’s office in June 2015.

The competing accounts have renewed debate over Buhari’s position during the 2022 APC presidential contest and the relationships among key figures in the administration.

While Lawal has offered his interpretation of Buhari’s views, Akande has challenged it by citing his own experience in Osinbajo’s office. Buhari, who died in 2025, is no longer available to respond directly to the latest claims.