A group of leaders in the Middle Belt region known as Association of Middle Belt Ethnic Nationalities (ASOMBEN) has asked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to clear all speculation about his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group said it was prompted to send the message to Osinbajo following speculation that the office of the vice president was being persecuted by the presidency.
The national secretary of ASOMBEN, Reverend James Pam, told the Tribune in Jos on Sunday, November 10, that the sack of the vice president’s 35 aides and the perceived frosty relationship between Buhari and Osinbajo was creating needless tension in the country.
Pam said he suspects that all is not well in the presidency because it seems the functions of the vice president are being reduced. He noted that apart from the sacking of Osinbajo’s aides, Buhari recently replaced the Economic Management Team (EMT) headed by the vice president with an Economic Advisory Council (EAC).
The spokesperson for the group said some Nigerians who voted for the APC because of the vice president were not pleased with what was happening.
The Middle Belt elder stated the explanation coming from the spokesperson of the president, Garba Shehu on the reason why Osinbajo’s aides were sacked was not sufficient enough.
He said ASOMBEN will not advise Osinbajo to resign too quickly but urged the vice president to clear the air regarding events in the presidency.
Meanwhile, it seems the recent sacking of 35 aides to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has taken a new dimension as some Yoruba leaders say they would not allow anybody humiliate the number two man in the country.
According to the elders, any bad thing that happens to Osinbajo politically is an affront to the Yoruba race regardless of his political affiliation, Vanguard reports.
The spokesperson of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said there is a plan to humiliate Yemi Osinbajo and not the southwest. He also accused the vice president of not supporting the region since he became VP. Similarly, Prof Banji Akintoye said the intimidation of Yoruba sons would not be allowed.
