Babafemi Ojudu, a former Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has shared how he and other associates persuaded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to decline an offer to serve as Minister of Finance under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Ojudu revealed this while speaking on State Affairs, a podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo.
He explained that accepting the position could have jeopardized Tinubu’s political ambitions, as he was then the leader of the Action Congress.
Ojudu recounted: “Tinubu called me one day and said, ‘Congratulations to me.’ I asked, ‘Congratulations for what?’ He then told me that former President Yar’Adua had called him to join his government of unity as Minister of Finance.”
Ojudu said he immediately cautioned Tinubu, pointing out the potential consequences, and referred to the tragic fate of Bola Ige, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, who was assassinated in suspicious circumstances.
“I said, ‘You are in Action Congress. Are you not a student of history? Do you not see what happened to Bola Ige? You are digging your political grave if you accept that type of job,’” he stated.
He added that Rauf Aregbesola, another close ally and former Governor of Osun State, joined the conversation and echoed his concerns.
He said: “Rauf walked in and said, ‘Femi is right; that is not a job to take.’”
Ojudu recalled that a businessman present disagreed, suggesting that accepting the role would be beneficial for everyone.
However, Ojudu stood firm, arguing that the decision was about Tinubu’s long-term political survival.
“He is our leader. Our dream for him is bigger than him becoming a minister in Yar’Adua’s government. Nine months down the line, they would arrest him, try him, and finish him off — the way they did to Bola Ige,” he said.
Ojudu also addressed allegations of betrayal during the 2023 presidential election, when he supported former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for the All Progressives Congress ticket instead of Tinubu.
He dismissed the claims, emphasizing that their diverging paths were not rooted in personal animosity.
He said, “We cannot quarrel. It is about our vision taking different routes. I just came from Bayo Onanuga’s daughter’s wedding. People saw me and said, ‘We never knew you would come around.’
“I told them, ‘Do you think we are boxing each other? It is not personal. For me, loyalty to friendship is on a lesser scale than sacrifice for the country.’”
