Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has debunked claims that he is biased against Muslims by releasing names of Muslim appointees working with him.
Since he declared his ambition to contest in the 2023 presidential election, he has come under attack from Farooq Kperogi, a professor of journalism in the US.
An article by Kperogi alleged that Osinbajo is a religious bigot who prefers to appoint people from his church to relevant positions.
In the video released on Wednesday, 16 Muslims — comprising five females and 11 males — spoke about their positions, their states of origin and how long they have been working in the vice-president’s office.
Below are the names of Muslim appointees listed in the video:
Abdulrahman Ipaye (Lagos) — deputy chief of staff to the president, office of the vice-president
Mariam Uwais (Kano) — special adviser to the president on social investment, office of the vice-president
Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti) — special adviser on political matters, office of the vice-president
Balkisu Saidu (Sokoto) — senior special assistant on legal research and compliance matters, office of the vice-president
Abdullahi Gwari (Yobe) — head of protocol and senior special assistant on foreign affairs
Olabisi Ogungbemi (Kwara) –special assistant on political matters to the president, office of the vice-president
Ahmad Zakari (Jigawa) — special adviser to the president on infrastructure, office of the vice-president
Afeez Kau (Kano) — personal assistant, office of the vice-president
Abdulrahman Baffa-Yola — special assistant to the president on political affairs, office of the vice-president
Muhammed Braima (Kwara) — special assistant on internally displaced persons (2015 – 2019); he was later appointed as special assistant on job creation
Mariam Masha (Lagos) – senior special assistant in humanitarian intervention
Yusuf Ali (Kwara) — special assistant to the president on power regulation, office of the vice-president
Gambo Manzo (Gombe) — special adviser on political affairs
Muritala Aliyu (Kogi) — special adviser on logistics
Ibrahim Salama (Katsina) — media assistant, office of the vice-president
Lanre Sasere (Lagos) — senior special assistant to the president on planning and coordination, office of the vice-president
