Only Jonathan attended OIC meeting, says Osinbajo

• Visits Urhobo leaders

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is the first and only Nigerian head of state to have attended a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (IOC) since Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s regime took the country into the body through military fiat in 1986, All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), said yesterday.

   He spoke yesterday at an interactive session with professionals in Warri, Delta State and said those accusing the party’s presidential candidate, Major-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (rtd), of being a Muslim fundamentalist and an Islamization of Nigeria advocate were distorting history against this backdrop.

  Osinbajo said: “Throughout his period as military head of state, Gen. Buhari was under intense pressure to drag Nigeria into the IOC, but he never yielded because he respects Nigeria as a secular state in line with the constitution. Besides his cook and driver are Christians.

  “When Gen. Babangida eventually dragged Nigeria into IOC a, none of the successors ever attended any of its meeting because they know to Islamise Nigeria is very difficult as you need to first get the constitution amended. That process, you know, is almost impossible”.

  “But it is on record that in 2013, President Jonathan, undermining the constitutional limitation, ensured that Nigeria attended an IOC meeting.”

  Prof. Osinbajo also visited the Chief Tuesday Onoge-led faction of  Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) where he talked on the imperative for men of integrity to start leading in Nigeria.

  He said: “We are aware of Ovwiamuge Declaration. The APC is grateful that there are men of integrity like you who would still stick their necks out to stand on the side of integrity to uphold the truth in the face of mindless compromise.”

  Onoge promised that the Urhobo would support APC in the elections, “not only because the party fulfilled Ovwiamuge Declaration, but also because we believe they have the best programmes to turn the country around.”