Laolu Akande, who served as spokesperson for former Vice President [Prof. Yemi Osinbajo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemi_Osinbajo), publicly rejected the accusations levelled by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation [Babachir Lawal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babachir_Lawal) that President Muhammadu Buhari opposed Osinbajo’s bid in the 2023 presidential election. Akande asserted that documentary evidence from the Buhari administration disproves Lawal’s narrative.
**Key points**
- Lawal alleged that Buhari considered it “immoral and distasteful” for Osinbajo to contest against Bola Tinubu in 2023.
- He further claimed Buhari could not have supported Osinbajo because of his long‑standing relationship with Tinubu.
- Akande, who was present in the Vice President’s office during the period in question, said he witnessed the decisions firsthand.
- The former spokesperson highlighted that the video released by Lawal contained fabrications that did not merit a response, yet he felt compelled to correct the record.
**What did Lawal allege?**
Lawal’s statement suggested that Buhari had privately discouraged Osinbajo from running, implying a conflict of interest given Buhari’s ties to Tinubu. He portrayed the alleged opposition as a moral stance, insinuating that Osinbajo’s candidacy was inappropriate.
**How did Akande respond?**
In a statement titled “A Response to Mr. Babachir Lawal’s Falsehoods Against Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON,” Akande explained his need to intervene because he was directly involved in the decisions under scrutiny. He said, “Ordinarily, such fabrications would not deserve a response, but I was in the room where many of these decisions were taken, and the allegations touch directly on the staff of the Office of the Vice President – of which I was a part. For the sake of the record, facts only must be stated.”
Akande concluded that the official records from the Buhari era clearly contradict Lawal’s claims, urging the public to rely on documented evidence rather than unverified statements.