Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s former spokesperson, Laolu Akande, has dismissed allegations levelled against his former principal by ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, describing them as false and fabricated.
Akande, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Osinbajo from 2015 to 2023, said he was compelled to respond because the claims concerned decisions taken within the Office of the Vice President, where he worked for eight years.
In a lengthy statement posted on his X account on Saturday, Akande challenged several assertions made by Lawal in a podcast interview, insisting that the accounts did not reflect what transpired during the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
One of the claims he disputed was that Buhari considered Osinbajo’s 2022 presidential ambition immoral.
Akande described the allegation as false, saying the late president had repeatedly indicated his willingness to support his deputy’s aspiration to succeed him.
According to him, Buhari offered his support to Osinbajo on at least four occasions, asking, “If I don’t support you, who will I support?”
He added that during the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign, Buhari publicly commended Osinbajo at a Federal Executive Council meeting for conducting a dignified and issues-based campaign.
Akande argued that the president’s conduct contradicted the suggestion that he disapproved of Osinbajo’s ambition.
The former presidential aide also rejected Lawal’s account of a memo allegedly containing more than 20 names of staff nominated for appointments in the Vice President’s office.
Lawal reportedly claimed that the memo was delayed by Buhari’s Chief of Staff because of the nominees’ ethnic backgrounds and was eventually presented to the president, who allegedly remarked that they were all Yoruba.
Akande denied that such a memo existed, describing the account as a fabrication.
“There was no such memo,” he said, adding that the alleged ethnic remark was inconsistent with his experience of Buhari.
He explained that Osinbajo had direct access to the president and routinely submitted memos for approval before forwarding approved documents to his Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye, for implementation.
According to Akande, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was not involved in that approval process, except for the subsequent issuance of appointment letters.
He also disputed Lawal’s claim that the appointments were delayed for three months, saying he and several other aides resumed work in June 2015 as the office was being established.
Akande maintained that appointments were submitted in different batches, depending on the categories of staff required and the evolving needs of the office.
He further noted that Lawal had been removed as SGF by Buhari before many of the appointments were made, adding that the former SGF’s removal was not the decision of Osinbajo.
On allegations that Osinbajo selected aides based on their membership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Akande said the composition of the office demonstrated religious and regional inclusiveness.
He described the office as one of the most inclusive in the Buhari administration, with officials drawn from different parts of the country and from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds.
Akande cited Ade Ipaye, a Muslim, as the most senior official in the office. He also listed several other Muslim aides, including Special Advisers Maryam Uwais and Ahmad Zakari, as well as Senator Babafemi Ojudu.
He named other officials from different professional, religious and regional backgrounds, including Prof. Balkisu Saidu, Ambassador Abdullahi Gwary, Ismaeel Ahmed, Ajuri Ngelale and Damilola Ogunbiyi.
“This was a truly national team. It was never a church list,” Akande said.
The former spokesperson also disputed Lawal’s account of the appointment of Dr. Okey Enelamah as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
Lawal had reportedly suggested that Enelamah’s relationship with Osinbajo, including his association with the former vice president’s church, influenced his appointment.
Akande said Enelamah, a former private equity executive, was recommended by individuals in the financial services industry. He added that Buhari’s then Chief of Staff, the late Abba Kyari, informed Osinbajo of the president’s decision to appoint him.
Akande said he had personally asked Osinbajo about the appointment at the time, when speculation was rife that the former vice president had nominated Enelamah.
He maintained that Osinbajo had told him the decision came from Buhari through Kyari.
On appointments to government boards during periods when Osinbajo served as Acting President, Akande said any changes made to nominees were based on legal and professional requirements.
He cited federal character, age, qualifications and professional suitability as the considerations guiding the adjustments, adding that Buhari was briefed upon his return and did not object to the changes.
Akande suggested that Lawal’s allegations could be connected to lingering resentment over his removal as SGF.
He said the Senate and a report by the Attorney-General had already raised concerns about allegations against Lawal before Osinbajo was appointed to head an investigation panel.
Akande further alleged that Lawal had inadvertently provided evidence that implicated him during the investigation.
He, however, maintained that personal grievances could not justify what he described as false claims against the former vice president.
“Prof. Osinbajo served President Buhari loyally for eight years, without blemish, with an inclusive team that reflected the best of Nigeria,” Akande said, adding that the records of the administration were available for public scrutiny.
Lawal’s allegations and Akande’s response have brought renewed attention to the relationship between key figures in the Buhari administration and the circumstances surrounding decisions made during their time in office.
