Buhari wanted me to be his vice president not Osinbajo — Tinubu

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and presidential aspirant, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, said that President Muhammadu Buhari specifically wanted him as his vice president.

Tinubu explained that he would have emerged as the Vice President of Buhari in 2015 if not for the Muslim -Muslim ticket issue.

He said, “This is me telling you between my life and God Almighty, Buhari called me to be his vice president. He said because the first time he contested, he picked Okadigbo, flamboyant, catholic, but Nigerians didn’t vote for him. 

“The second time, he picked another Igbo, Omesioke, Nigerians didn’t vote for him, that if he goes to bring the pope to run as his vice, Nigerians won’t vote for him. But you Bola Tinubu, you have six governors, you have never lost an election before, come and be my vice.”

Tinubu explained how he came about picking Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate in the election, being a Christian.

“He knew all the calculations then favoured us, that is why he wanted me as his vice, but I told him to let us build the party first. And when we finished building the party, we brought in people from the PDP. 

“Saraki now saw those from the PDP will not get anything if Buhari, a Muslim becomes the President and me, also a Muslim becomes his Vice, he won’t get the Senate President and the Senate President cannot also be a Muslim, that was how they started the campaign of calumny against me.

“I told them that I have a candidate that is a Christan that I can nominate so that the party will not break, that was how I nominated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. I surrendered my right to him (Osinbajo).

“I was asked to submit three names: Yemi Cardozo, Wale Edun and Yemi Osinbajo, but I told them if I submit three names, they might be smarter than me and put another name, and so I zeroed in on Osinbajo,” he added.

Tinubu said, “It is my time.  I’m educated, I’m experienced. I have been serving you for a long time, give me the opportunity. It is my turn.”He appealed to Ogun State delegates to vote for him at the primaries, despite the fact that Osinbajo is from the state.