The national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, who has emerged as the presidential candidate of the party, on Wednesday lambasted the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, saying he (Tinubu) was surprised that Lawan could compete with him.
Tinubu when called to give his remarks at the concluding national convention of the party at the Eagle Square, Abuja, said the Senate President “could now lick his wounds.” Tinubu said, “To you, the legislature; Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, I would have been a little upset because you compete with me. But that is over now since you can easily lick your wounds. It doesn’t take away from liking you for the past cooperation and collaboration and cool-headedness you bring to our country.”
Earlier in a video posted by Arise TV, Tinubu refused to greet Vice President Yemi Osinbajo while he exchanged pleasantries with President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aisha; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi and others at the VVIP box. He ignored the Vice President despite standing up to greet him. It however took the intervention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, for Tinubu to go back and shake hands with Osinbajo.
Since 1999, the duo have enjoyed a cordial political relationship. Osinbajo served as Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007 when Tinubu was the state governor.
Many supporters of the former Lagos governor have criticised Osinbajo for contesting the presidential ticket of the APC with his former boss. Tinubu recently claimed he nominated Osinbajo as President Buhari’s running mate in 2015 as part of the political bargaining that led to the formation of APC.
