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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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Wike Kick-Starts Campaign for 2027 Election, Urges Rivers Electorates to Vote Tinubu

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20 minutes ago

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January 6, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike on Tuesday urged the electorate in Rivers to support President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027 to sustain the progress being recorded in the state.

Mr Wike made the appeal during his “thank you” visit to Degema Local Government Area of Rivers.

He cited the unprecedented attention Tinubu is giving to Rivers ranging from development projects, appointments, and human capital development.

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The minister, who said that the Rivers people ‘never had it this good’, urged the people to continue their support for Tinubu to sustain the gains.

He noted that although the due attention given to Rivers was attracting envy from every quarters, supporting the reelection of Tinubu would take Rivera to greater heights.

He explained that the visit was to thank the people for the continued support, urging them to replicate the gesture in 2027.

Earlier, Peter Abe, member representing Degema LGA in the State Assembly, thanked Wike for providing the needed leadership in the state.

Mr Abe said that all communities in the state were witness to what the minister did in 2023, which was beneficial to all people in the state.

He thanked Wike for steering the state to progress, assuring him of the readiness of the people to follow his directives in 2027.

The Chairman of council, Michael Williams, assured the minister of continued support, adding that all the community structures in the LGA would support the reelection of Tinubu.

Williams noted that Wike initiative to support the election of Tinubu in the state in 2023 has brought progress in the state, stressing that supporting his reelection bid would sustain the progress.

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2027: Ex-DSS DG, Lawal Daura to Contest Katsina Governorship

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28 minutes ago

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January 6, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

 

Former State Security Service Director-General, Lawal Daura, has announced his plans to run for the 2027 governorship election in Katsina State. He criticized the current administration’s performance and highlighted ongoing security issues as key reasons for his decision to enter the race.

During an interview with DCL Hausa on Tuesday, Mr. Daura stated that he has finished consulting about his political aspirations and will soon reveal the political party under which he plans to run.

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He said, “I have been making consultations on the platform to use to contest, and the consultations have been concluded. Very soon, I will make the platform known.

“Why do people serve for one or two terms? If they get it right, fine. But if the reverse is the case, then there is no point in seeking re-election. It is obvious the current governor is not capable.

“It is like putting a load on somebody and adjusting it. If he complains that the load is too heavy, you have to take it down to avoid destroying fragile items. For the current administration, we can say thank you for your efforts, but you should take a break because you can’t continue.

“I never saw myself coming out to contest. I admire politics, but I only participated from the background.”

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Court reverses dissolution of NNPP executives

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49 minutes ago

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January 6, 2026

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Kano high court has invalidated the dissolution of state, local and ward executive Council of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano, amounting the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) null and void.

In an exparte order granted by Justice Nasiru Saminu on Tuesday, the equally restrained the National Working Committee of NNPP from taking any further step regarding the leadership structure of the party in Kano until the hearing and determination of motion on notice filed by the plaintiff.

In a suit No. K/06/2026 instituted by one Abdullahi Zubairu Imam and five others (plaintiffs) on behalf of the executive Committee of NNPP at 44 local government areas of the state was filed against the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) as defendant, challenging their dissolution.

In the interim injunction, Justice Saminu also directed all parties to maintain Status-Quo-Ante as at 30th December, 2025, prior to the purported dissolution directive issued by the NWC of the party.

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“After hearing on the matter filed by K.K. Njidda Esq with S.A. Muhammad Esq counsels to the Applicants the court hereby order an interim injunction restraining the Defendant/Respondent either by himself, his agents, privies cohort, ad-hoc Committees, National Working Committee or any other persons acting on its Instruction howsoever described from appointing Caretaker Committees for the State, Local Government and Ward levels Executives of Kano State or taking any further step In respect of the subject matter of this suit pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed before this court.

“An order of interim injunction mandating the Defendant/Respondent maintain STATUS QUO ANTE as at 30 December, 2025 prior to the purported dissolution of the Kano State, Local Government and Ward levels executives pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

“AN ORDER of this Honorable Court granting the Plaintiffs/Applicants to issue and serve the process in this suit on the Defendant at its National Secretariat situate at 11 Mahatma Gandhi Street, Area 11, Garki Abuja, Nigeria which is the outside the jurisdiction of this court”. A copy of the order as signed by Abba Sa’ad, registrar read.

Recall that the NWC of the NNPP declared the dissolution of the executive Council of the party across the party structure in Kano following the suspension of Hon. Hashim Dungurawa as Chairman of the party in the state. Dungurawa has been replaced by Abdullahi Abiya in acting capacity.

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