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Osinbajo And The Infidelity Of Integrity

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4 years ago

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By Bala Ibrahim.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has ended all speculations, by formally declaring his intention to run for the President of Nigeria, come next year, 2023. In giving notice of this intention today, monday,11/04/2022, the Vice President said, “In the past seven years, I have served as Vice President under a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari. I am today, with utmost humility, formally declaring my intention to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress,”

The phrase, “a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari,” aroused my enthusiasm, as a consequence of which, I was encouraged to write this article.

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The dictionary gives integrity as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. People of integrity are expected to be honest, upright and righteous, with high moral rectitude. Integrity therefore, goes hand in hand with honour, or the quality of knowing and doing what is right. This is morality.

Vice President Osinbajo is a lawyer, a law professor and a Senior Advocate, whose major preoccupation should be in the direction of promoting the cause of justice. So he is very much aware of the legal implications of actions. This is legality.

But Vice President Osinbajo is also a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, whose preoccupation is to provide spiritual leadership to members, including sermons and preaching, through the interpretation of the biblical scripture. So he is very much aware of the moral implications of actions.

I am not a lawyer, but I know the Nigerian constitution has given every person who is entitled to vote or be voted for at an election, the right to vote or be voted for in that election, including the election to the office of the President. This is legal, and as a Nigerian, and one with the requisite credentials, Osinbajo is legally right to contest.

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But as a pastor, with knowledge and experience in the provision of spiritual leadership, God has placed him in a position to juxtapose legality against morality, I think. And this article intends to awaken his moral conscience, as it affects the virtue of loyalty.

This is so because he talked about integrity, the integrity of his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari. But before Buhari became his boss, he was bossed, or even built, by another boss, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, commonly referred to as Asiwaju, the Jagaba of Borgu.

Prior to Osinbajo’s declaration of today, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had long made the same declaration, which he referred to as, his lifelong ambition. And he said, he had informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his ambition to contest the 2023 presidential election. If he had informed the President, and there is one Presidency, it goes without saying, that he had informed the Vice President. So there is a clash of interest here, between Tinubu and Osinbajo, and one that would highlight the clash between legality and morality.

It is imperative to have an overview on the political trajectory of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and in doing that, I would paraphrase an old article taken from the Guardian, which goes thus:

“The emergence and relevance of Osinbajo today in the national arena was powered by the political machinery of Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is the enigmatic former governor of Lagos state who has built an empire in a scale and magnitude that many before him never achieved as governors of the state by the Lagoon. The empire has political and economic roots in Lagos but with several flourishing branches that have provided and are still providing financial fruits in many parts of the South-west, and other regions of the country. One of these branches is the person of Prof. Osinbajo. Osinbajo emerged in the political scene in 1999, when he was appointed as Lagos State Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice by Tinubu. Tinubu also, single handedly recommended and ensured the adoption of Osinbajo as the running mate of Buhari. So the relationship between Tinubu and Osinbajo should be that of a mentor and a mentee. A benefactor and a beneficiary. A leader and a follower. A relationship that was akin to apprenticeship built on the expectation that one man’s duel will be the cause of the other. No doubt that Prof Osinbajo was a top academic but what he learnt working with Asiwaju, cannot be found in any educational facility with the rich curriculum to have provided him those syllabi and the knowledge garnered in those years of close association, hand holding and mentoring.”

Truly, Vice President Osinbajo is free to contest against any adversary. But from the foregone, if integrity matters, if honour matters, if virtue matters, if humility matters, and if there is respect for correct behaviour, should that adversary be Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under whose wings he prospered? To contest against the lifelong ambition of your benefactor?

Like the Julius Caesar’s remark, when he was about to cross the Rubicon, the die is certainly cast. Osinbajo had made a decision with evident irreversible consequences. And that decision is to promote the infidelity of integrity.

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Kaduna 2027: Governor Uba Sani Replaces Deputy, Names Jerry Adams as Running Mate

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20 hours ago

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July 29, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

In a major political realignment ahead of the 2027 governorship election, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has officially nominated the Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), Jerry Adams, as his new running mate.

The announcement, made on Tuesday via a personally signed statement, effectively signals the end of the ticket with the current Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarabe, who also served as Deputy to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai during his second term.

Governor Sani framed the decision as more than a political calculation, describing it as a “reaffirmation” of his administration’s core philosophy of inclusive governance.

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“This decision is far greater than the selection of a deputy governorship candidate. It is a reaffirmation of the values that have guided our administration since I took the oath of office on 29 May 2023; the values of inclusion, justice, fairness, equity and the unwavering conviction that every citizen of Kaduna State deserves a genuine sense of belonging,” the Governor stated.

Addressing the state’s complex socio-political landscape, Sani noted that Kaduna’s rich diversity in ethnicity, religion, and culture should be a source of strength rather than division. He reflected on the state’s history, emphasizing the need to learn from past conflicts.

“Our history has taught us difficult lessons about the heavy cost of division, mistrust and exclusion. Yet it has also shown us that when we choose dialogue over discord, inclusion over alienation and justice over prejudice, our people achieve extraordinary things together,” he added.

The Governor touted his administration’s track record over the last three years as evidence of this commitment, citing equitable distribution of developmental projects across the state’s 23 local government areas. Key sectors highlighted include road infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, rural development, and social protection programs.

The nomination of Jerry Adams, who currently oversees the state’s revenue generation, signals a potential shift in the administration’s focus toward economic consolidation and fiscal expansion as it prepares for the 2027 electoral contest.

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No Sin in Politics’ Wike Says as Fubara Returns to Rainbow Coalition

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21 hours ago

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July 29, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

FCT minister Nyesom Wike has welcomed the return of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to his political side, declaring the latter has corrected his mistakes.

He said this in Abuja on Tuesday after inspecting the project, alongside the ongoing construction of the service carriageways of the Southern Parkway in Gaduwa District, Abuja.

Reacting to the Rivers governor’s recent declaration about his return to the Rainbow Coalition and pledge of complete loyalty to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, Mr Wike said, “There is no sin in politics.”

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The minister further stated, “If someone realises he made a mistake and decides to correct it, there is nothing wrong with that.

“What matters is recognising that you were on the wrong path and deciding to take the right path.”

The minister, who welcomed Mr Fubara back into his political fold, insisted that the governor had “no other choice” than to return to the political family that brought him to power.

Mr Wike explained that the Rivers governor’s decision to align with his political camp publicly was a step in the right direction, adding that the reconciliation would strengthen support for Mr Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

“I said during my last media chat that he had no other choice but to return to the same political family that produced him,” Mr Wike stated.

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Aminu Magashi Donates Relief Materials to Bichi Female Rehabilitation Centre Inmates

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2 days ago

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July 28, 2026

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The Technical Adviser to the Kano State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba, has donated relief materials, including blankets, food items, and essential drugs, to inmates of the Bichi Female Rehabilitation Centre following the destruction caused by a recent rainstorm.

Dr. Magashi made the donation during a visit to the facility on Sunday, July 26, accompanied by officials of the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), led by its Executive Secretary, Alhaji Isyaku Abdullahi Kubarachi.

The visit followed a heavy rainstorm that damaged parts of the rehabilitation centre, leaving several buildings in need of urgent repairs. During the inspection, Dr. Magashi interacted with staff and female inmates while assessing the extent of the destruction.

He observed that the rainstorm had blown off the roofs of several female accommodation blocks, while sections of the perimeter fence had collapsed, creating serious safety and security concerns for the facility.

In response to the situation, Dr. Magashi commended the Kano State Emergency Management Agency for its swift intervention, particularly the decision to temporarily relocate all female inmates to a dedicated and secured section within the Bichi Male Rehabilitation Centre.

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According to SEMA, the temporary relocation was undertaken to safeguard the lives and welfare of the inmates while rehabilitation and reconstruction of the damaged facility are carried out.

Dr. Magashi described the agency’s response as timely and necessary, noting that the safety and well-being of vulnerable persons in government care should remain a top priority.

He also pledged to support SEMA and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in convening a strategic stakeholders’ meeting aimed at reviewing the incident and strengthening emergency response mechanisms across rehabilitation centres in the state.

The meeting, he said, would provide an opportunity to mobilize additional support from government institutions, non-governmental organizations, and development partners to improve SEMA’s capacity in managing the 13 rehabilitation centres under its supervision.

Dr. Magashi highlighted his continued commitment to supporting humanitarian interventions across Kano State, recalling that he had previously visited six of the state’s 13 rehabilitation centres where he donated drugs and food items to inmates.

He added that he had also sponsored a one-day capacity-building training for health workers serving in the rehabilitation centres to improve healthcare delivery to inmates.

The Technical Adviser expressed appreciation to the Executive Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, for appointing him to serve in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, pledging to continue supporting initiatives that improve the welfare of vulnerable residents across the state.If you’d like, I can also make it follow the exact Nigerian Tracker house style with a stronger lead, subhead, and editor-ready formatting.

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