By Tonye Clinton Jaja
Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, is the Immediate Past Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Last week, specifically, on 20th February 2025, Yemi Osinbajo was hailed by many as an Orator, as he delivered a speech as the book reviewer during the launch of the autobiography of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).
This week however, the Presidency, he has responded by picking holes in the speech that made many regard Yemi Osinbajo as an orator.
Specifically, the Presidency stated as follows: “I think the former Vice President got it wrong. I think Babangida was not really a tormentor of President Tinubu, don’t forget that President Tinubu said in his own extempore speech that he held Babangida as something, that he was the person that inspired him to get into politics.”
In other words,
the “Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that it is incorrect for Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to label former military President Ibrahim Babangida as Tinubu’s tormentor.”
Yemi Osinbajo would do well to read the history of some of the world’s greatest orators to learn the true nature of citizens who are often fickle.
One minute they are hailing the orator for his rhetoric but the next minute they could be baying for the head of the orator on a spike!!!
Demosthenes was regarded as the greatest ancient Greek orator, the same citizens that previously hailed him, came after him to have him killed, he had to commit suicide by drinking poison in the year 322 B.C.E.
Then there was Cicero, the greatest orator of the Roman Empire, he was assassinated on the orders of Mark Anthony!!!
The reason for this sudden shift or change is because the crowd, the mob is fickle!!!
The definition of “fickle” is:
“Changing frequently, especially as regards one’s loyalties or affections.
“celebs trying to appeal to an increasingly fickle public”
Years ago, anyone in military uniform especially those who were part of the ruling class of Nigeria’s military juntas was regarded as “tormentors” and as an enemy of the public.
However, now the spokesman of the Presidency has made a public statement that a distinguishes between the military juntas, some are to be addressed as “tormentors”, whereas others are to be regarded as “enablers”, blessings in disguise that pushed our PBAT to undertake his political journey!!!
Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
Executive Director,
Nigerian Law Society (NLS)
