Veteran journalist, Mustapha Ogunsakin has stated that former President Olusegun Obasanjo offered Prof. Yemi Osinbajo the position of Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in 2005 but the law professor turned it down.
He stated this in an interaction with newsmen as controversy continues to trail Osinbajo’s decision to vie for the nation’s top office.
Some supporters of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, under whose tenure as Lagos governor Osinbajo served as commissioner, have called the vice president a traitor for daring to contest against his former boss.
In an apparent reaction to the barrage of attacks on the VP, Ogunsakin said, “In 2005, President Obasanjo invited Osinbajo to take appointment as the Attorney-General of the Federation after Chief Akin Olujimi left office.
“Obasanjo saw the sterling qualities and performance that Osinbajo had as Attorney General of Lagos.
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“ The president without informing Bola Tinubu, the then Lagos State Governor, offered the post to Osinbajo who was then Lagos State Attorney-General.
“ The first thing Osinbajo did was to inform his principal, Tinubu, who gave him a free hand to take his decision.”
Despite Tinubu’s stance, Ogunsakin said, Osinbajo decided against taking up the federal job.
According to him, Osinbajo instead made a request to Obasanjo to release Lagos state’s council funds being held by the Federal Government.
Ogunsakin added that Obasanjo advised Osinbajo to first take up the position he was offering and then advise him on the matter as AGF.
“Osinbajo went underground and for weeks Obasanjo could no longer reach him.
“It was obvious to the then president that Osinbajo deliberately avoided him; he went on to appoint Chief Bayo Ojo as his Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
“Osinbajo rejected the position of Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and stayed with Tinubu; nobody complained then,” the veteran journalist said.
He cautioned those accusing Osinbajo of betrayal to stop soiling the man’s good name.
He wondered why those now calling Osinbajo a traitor had nothing to say when then commissioner Osinbajo stood with Tinubu and Lagos despite the tempting presidential offer.
“But now when it is convenient for them, some political and religious bigots are shouting betrayal!
“Everyone knows that if you want to hear the story of how your father met your mother, join politics,” he said.