Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has disagreed with former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s description of former military President Ibrahim Babangida as Tinubu’s tormentor.
Osinbajo made the remark last week while reviewing Babangida’s autobiography, A Journey in Service, at its public presentation in Abuja.
He recalled how Tinubu, then a senator, opposed the dissolution of the Senate by the military following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Jokingly, Osinbajo noted that Tinubu, who was once tormented by the military, including Babangida, for trying to reconstitute the dissolved Senate, was now at the event to honour one of his past tormentors.
However, speaking on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television on Tuesday, February 25, Onanuga dismissed Osinbajo’s claim, arguing that Babangida was instead an inspiration to Tinubu’s political journey.
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“I think the former Vice President got it wrong. I think Babangida was not really a tormentor of President Tinubu.
“Don’t forget that President Tinubu said in his own extempore speech that he held Babangida as something, that he was the person that inspired him to get into politics.
“When Babangida came in, he was talking about new breed politicians and so on, and Tinubu, like many of them, were already technocrats or in private business.
“All of them came out to participate in politics. That was what brought him in. So, he came there to pay homage,” Onanuga said.
He clarified that Tinubu’s real political struggles began under General Sani Abacha when he and some colleagues attempted to reconvene the Senate in Lagos.
Onanuga also praised Babangida for admitting that MKO Abiola won the 1993 presidential election but noted that his acknowledgement came late.