Osinbajo's former aide refutes Babachir Lawal's statements about ex-VP

Laolu Akande, who used to be the spokesperson for former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has denied claims made by Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Lawal spoke about Osinbajo's relationship with former President Muhammadu Buhari and how his office was set up.

Akande worked as Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity from 2015 to 2023. He said he is responding because he was part of Osinbajo's office and saw many of the decisions Lawal mentioned.

Osinbajo ran for the APC presidential primary in June 2022 but lost to Bola Tinubu, who became the party's candidate. Lawal alleged that Buhari thought Osinbajo's run for president was "immoral". He also claimed that Osinbajo submitted a memo with over 20 names for staff, which was reportedly delayed by Buhari’s chief of staff.

Akande rejected both claims completely. In a statement titled, "A response to Babachir Lawal’s falsehoods against Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON," he called Lawal’s claims a “string of allegations” and said they contained lies that needed correction.

"Normally, I wouldn’t respond to such lies. But I worked as the vice president’s spokesperson. I was in the room for many of these decisions," Akande said.

He insisted that the claim about Buhari considering Osinbajo’s presidential ambition as immoral is not true. He said the former president offered to support Osinbajo’s ambition on at least four different occasions.

"President Buhari personally offered to support the vice president, telling him plainly: ‘If I don’t support you, who will I support?’" Akande shared.

He also remembered a moment during the 2022 APC presidential primary campaign when Buhari praised Osinbajo at a Federal Executive Council meeting. He said Buhari called Osinbajo’s campaign dignified and focused on issues.

Akande pointed out that the president’s remarks were made in front of council members. "That is not a president who found Osinbajo’s ambition distasteful. That is a president who encouraged and applauded it," he stated.

Akande also denied Lawal’s claims about a memo with over 20 proposed staff members. He called the story that the memo was delayed by the Chief of Staff to the President and later taken to Buhari by Lawal “a complete fabrication.”

"There was no such memo," he said firmly.

He also challenged Lawal’s claim that Buhari made an ethnic remark about the proposed staff. Akande said this behavior does not match Buhari's character. He explained that Osinbajo had direct access to Buhari and usually took his memos straight to him for approval.

Once approved, the memos went to Osinbajo’s Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye, who then communicated them to the relevant agencies. He said the SGF’s office was not part of that process except for issuing appointment letters.

Akande also dismissed Lawal’s claim that the supposed memo was delayed for three months. "I started in the Office of the Vice President in June 2015, along with many others. So did many of those whose names he now invents. There was no three-month delay," he explained.

He said Osinbajo submitted different batches of memos at various times as the office was being established and as government policies changed. He emphasized that no list of staff appointments was based on ethnic or religious factors.

Akande further rejected the claim that Osinbajo filled his office mainly with members of his church. He called that claim false and said the office was very inclusive.

"The Office was one of the most inclusive, pan-Nigerian offices in that government, North, South, East, West, Christian, and Muslim," he said.

He mentioned that Ipaye, a Muslim lawyer, was appointed as deputy chief of staff to Osinbajo as proof of the office’s religious diversity. Akande pointed out that three of Osinbajo’s four special advisers were Muslims, including Maryam Uwais, who was special adviser on Social Investments, and Ahmad Zakari.

He argued that the staff makeup disproved Lawal's claim that Osinbajo had a narrow religious agenda. Akande said his response aims to set the record straight, emphasizing that he knows how the Vice President’s office operated during that time.

"It is unbelievable that Mr Lawal would create such falsehood," he concluded.