The Southwest Youth Congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, on Thursday, staged a solidarity walk against the political attack on Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, saying the attack was designed to smear his image.
The youth in their numbers converged on the popular Oba Adesida road, armed with placards of various inscriptions, and terminated the walk at the APC party secretariat at Oyemekun road where they were received by the party chairman, Honourable Ade Adetimehin.
The youth who cautioned politicians against casting aspersions on the integrity and patriotic strides of Osinbajo, noting that such campaign of calumny against the Vice President will not hold water in the eyes of right-thinking Nigerians.
The youths who were armed with placards of various inscriptions stated that some unscrupulous elements are bent to destabilize the country in the guise of ‘fighting’ the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
According to the youth, the attack on Osinbajo was orchestrated by a desperate cabal with the aim to stop power shift to the South in 2023 and dissuade the Vice President from considering running for the presidency.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, Comrade Bamise Akintomide who spoke after the walk, condemned the attacked on Osinbajo, urging political leaders from the region to keep supporting the Vice President “who has displayed the attributes of competence and loyalty, both of which have brought honor to the entire Yoruba race and the south-west region.”
Akintomide said “the Southwest Youth Congress, have followed with dismay the ongoing onslaught against the person of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
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“While we are confident that the perceived threat against Professor Osinbajo bears the imprints of a desperate cabal’s wicked strategy for relevance, sadly they have also enlisted the support of agents of calumny of an equally desperate opposition, it is our considered opinion that such campaign of calumny against a decent character like the Vice President will not hold water in the eyes of right-thinking Nigerians.
“We do know that the orchestrated allegations against Professor Osinbajo, especially the baseless accusation of misusing a nonexistent N90 billion campaign fund, are all targeted at achieving the singular objective of dissuading the Vice President from considering the idea of running for the presidency in 2023”
“While Mr Vice President has not told anyone that he will be running for office in 2023, the South West Youth Congress will like to emphasize that the leadership shown by Professor Osinbajo over the period he has worked alongside President Muhammadu Buhari to pilot the affairs of this country have proven his capacity for effective and result-driven governance, and it is our hope and desire that come 2023 he is on the ballot to run for the highest office in the land.
“If he decides to contest, it’s our belief that he is immensely qualified and therefore he has our support and deserves the support of all well-meaning Nigerians.
“While it’s true that there is no amount of gimmicks or lies that can stop Professor Osinbajo from becoming Nigeria’s President if God so wills, we, however, call on all stakeholders and political leaders in the South West to be circumspect and unite in support of the Vice President who has displayed the attributes of competence and loyalty, both of which have brought honour to the entire Yoruba race and the south-west region.”
The APC chairman, Adetimehin, commended the Vice President for his loyalty to the President and the party, saying no amount of campaign against him would damage his reputation and image.