Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, has explained his principal’s absence from the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting.
In a statement, Akande stated that Osinbajo would be unable to attend the ceremony on Wednesday because he was abroad of the country on business.
“In a letter of apology for his absence addressed to the Acting Chairman of the party (Abubakar Kyari), the former VP explained that he was already abroad for engagements to which he had long been committed, when he received the invitation to the meeting,” the statement partly read.
“He had in fact cancelled some of his engagements abroad to be available for the two previously scheduled caucus meetings of the party which had to be postponed due to exigencies.
“While wishing the party fruitful deliberations, he expressed his commitment to the Party and his availability for future meetings and activities of the party.”
Osinbajo was Nigeria’s Vice President from May 2015 to May 2023 during the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
The law professor contested the APC presidential primary in June 2022 but lost to ex-governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.
Interestingly, Osinbajo was a Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of Lagos when Tinubu was Lagos governor between 1999 and 2007.
The APC primary visibly tested the relationship between Tinubu and Osinbajo but the two chieftains immediately reconciled after the primary and were seen publicly in a convivial mood.