Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday disowned a group said to have set up a website calling on Nigerians to join a volunteer group mobilising support for him ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
He said he has not declared any interest whatsoever in the 2023 election, but he is rather focused on working in his capacity as Vice President in the current regime to address all the compelling issues in the country.
Osinbajo’s position was contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, titled ‘2023 permutations a distraction, Osinbajo has not declared interest in the presidential race.’
The statement read, “The attention of the Office of the Vice President has been drawn to a website: supportosinbajo.ng that is calling on Nigerians to join a volunteer group mobilizing support for Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
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“Details of this website and the solicitation of the group are currently trending on WhatsApp with a suggestion that Prof. Osinbajo has ‘quietly’ declared interest in the 2023 election.
“The Office of the Vice President is not in any way connected to this website or the group behind it and considers such an enterprise an unnecessary distraction. Prof. Osinbajo has not declared any interest whatsoever in the 2023 election, but he is rather focused on working in his capacity as Vice President in the current administration to address all the compelling issues in the country and concerns of Nigerians, including finding effective and lasting solutions to the security challenges.
“Therefore, we ask that people desist from such unhelpful permutations while we all deal together with the challenges confronting us as Nigerians, and resolve them for the benefit of our people, peace, and prosperity in the land.”