A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has said that the political system’s decision to throw him up against Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the next Nigeria’s president has made the country worse off.
The ex-Emir, who was deposed by Kano state Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, spoke at the virtual launch of a book, “Osinbajo Strides: Defining Moments of an Innovative Leader,” yesterday.
Sanusi pointed out that Osinbajo was one of those in the current administration who were willing to debate any matter and yield superior arguments.
“And I dare say, we all agree that Nigeria is worse off for not having someone like him (Osinbajo) as president, but I do hope that he will be available to serve, to advise, and to put in his best for the country and continue to do so.
“So I’m sure he will, in whatever capacity he finds himself in the future, and maybe we’ll still be lucky to have him lead us at some point or take some leadership role as a statesman,” Sanusi said.
Sanusi described Osinbajo as one who “represents a perfect picture of what an ideal Nigerian leader should look like.”
According to him, “Osinbajo is an intellectual; he is someone I will sit with and debate, and as you know, I have been very critical of some of the policies of the government, and he will debate. And he had the ability, as we all know, to accept a superior argument.
“Sometimes, he will explain why it cannot be done; sometimes he will explain that it is something he agrees with but knows would take time to fix; sometimes he will outright not accept and agree to disagree.
“Osinbajo has this picture of a man who has the qualities of a leader we need or how a leader should be. As acting president, he gave us insight into how he would rule this country as president.
Sanusi, who is also a member of the National Council on Nutrition, observed that “I have seen firsthand his concern for the poor people of the country, the question of malnutrition and infant mortality, his commitment, year after year, to see improvements in the structure, the funding, and the processes of the institution, and I do hope that the work he has done will begin to see light in the near future.”
In 2022, Osinbajo contested the All Progressives Congress (APC), presidential primaries but lost to the president-elect Bola Tinubu and others.
The Vice President was heavily criticized by Tinubu’s loyalists for opting to contest while his alleged political godfather was in the race.
Osinbajo was described as a “traitor” among other names for contesting against Tinubu during the presidential primaries.
(omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138)
