The spokesman of Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Laolu Akande, has said that working closely with his principal for the past eight years is a matter of great honour and privilege to him.
He said having the opportunity to work under President Muhamadu Buhari’s government through the Office of the Vice President was an answer to the prayers he made when he left Nigeria for the United States in 1998.

Akande made this known on Friday, May 19, 2023, during an interview session, “Daily Politics,” on Daily Trust TV, where he reflected on his journey serving as a spokesman to the number-two man in Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, just a few days before the end of their tenure on May 29, 2023.

The veteran journalist said it has been a “thrilling” experience for him, saying he had always wanted to be part of people who would fix Nigeria and set its feet on the path of progress.

“It has been a very thrilling experience for me. I also consider it a great privilege and a wonderful opportunity to be able to serve your country, especially at that level, for someone who has always wanted to be part of fixing the country.

“I remember when I left in 1998 to go to the United States, I had a prayer with God, and I said I wanted to come back to Nigeria and work in a government if that government would be a government of serious reform. And when I got the opportunity to do that, I felt that it was an answer to my prayer. So, serving for these eight years at that level and with the Vice President and the President is a great privilege and honour,” Akande said.

Speaking on what made him leave the US and join the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign trail in 2014, the celebrated journalist said Osinbajo was the major factor, saying the VP’s reputation was ahead of him after his successful stint as Lagos State Attorney General for eight years between 1999 and 2007.

His words: “In 2013 and 2014, there was this clamour that somebody like General Buhari would be a very good candidate when they were forming the APC, and I was part of that hope, expectations, and clamour pushing behind the scenes.

“But in 2014, when the candidate of the APC then picked the Vice President as his running mate, when I heard the news in New York, I tapped my wife in the bedroom and said, you know what, I am going to support that guy.”

“I had met him just once before that time, in 2012, in New York. Before that time, he had garnered a considerable reputation as the guy who reformed the Lagos judiciary when he was Attorney General from 1999 to 2007, and a lot of what he did became a model for the country.

“So, when I met him in 2012, his reputation was ahead of him. We probably had a five-minute discussion at an award ceremony for him by the Nigerian Lawyers Association in New York; that was our previous meeting.

“When he was picked as a vice presidential candidate, I said, “Look, maybe your prayer is about to be answered; you have to go and support this guy; that was why I came to join the campaign.”

Reminiscing on his earlier career as one of the youngest editors in the 90s, Akande said he began his journalism career with the Guardian Newspaper at a tender age, where he did the one-year compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme after he graduated from the University of Ibadan (UI), and he was retained as a reporter.

“I started in 1989 as a freelance reporter for the Guardian; I was still in school in 1989, up to 1990, then I was posted to the Guardian for my NYSC, so I did my NYSC in the Guardian, and they offered me a job even before I finished the NYSC sometime in March as a staff reporter, and I was with them up till 1993 when I joined The News, which later became the Tempo, and maybe 1994 or 1995, when I went to the Nigerian Tribune,” Akande said.
https://www.chronicle.ng/2023/05/serving-nigeria-with-osinbajo-akande/

Laolu has done well in the OVP. He held the media down for the VP. A fight to finish indeed it was.

Serving with Osinbajo will always be a great honour, even Buhari said so

Osinbajo has served Nigeria very well and the people will miss having a true advocate in the Aso Villa. He did his best and that is why many world leaders have praised him for his leadership.

Osinbajo is a continental template for global leadership.

Osinbajo is a continental template for global leadership on paper and English speaking

But,Osinbajo is a continental template for global act of ungratefulness,lack of sportsmanship and religion bigotry.


He is free to contest against his benefactor TINUBU....but shunning his campaign speak so bad of him.

It's obvious even to the blind. only Igbos have some unimportant opposing opinion to these claims. meanwhile the most terrible governors in the last 8years are Uzodima, Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi. Imagine 3 of the 5 governors in SE are Nigeria's most useless governors in Nigeria currently but you'll not see or hear Igbos calling them out

If misplaced priorities are a secret of people it'd definitely be Igbos

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is a leader every country would desire to have as president. He is competent, honestly and incorruptible.

I used to like this man until they all got exposed

It is so unfortunate that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo's good name will be called when the worst administration since the history of Nigeria is being mentioned.

PYO will likely land one international appointmemt after this tenure ends where he will serve humanity on a global scale.. He has quality leadership skills.

Was it free of charge

One would never think a day will come that so people who called PYO a Fake Pst, mere Commissioner, condolence officer etc... Will not start praising him for his effort in this Government.

Well, Time will expose everything.

Mr. Laolu, Congratulations Sir, You worked with one of the finest Boss.

We like PYO. He was the only one that appeared sane among the whole of PMB's team.

However, we do not appreciate that his crew chose to run with BAT's crew and in so doing imbibed all the negative traits the BAT gang were known for. I believe they ended up misadvising the VP on the actual state of affairs on the ground. Luckily for him, he escaped the anti-Igbo paintbrush those charlatans used in presenting BAT to Nigerians. (Nigerians bought it well though and showed that bomboklaat that they prefer love to hate).

It is very instructive to note that in the few cases when PYO was apprised of the true situation, he was decisive and his decisions were praiseworthy.

Fare thee well, Prof.

Here they are - the bigots that nearly did PYO in. I hope his next few years out of power will open his eyes to see their bile-filled hearts, and keep away from them. Hopefully, his experience would be handy to PO, if and when the PEPT do justice and pronounce their judgement in fairness and with truth.

Offpointng:
It's obvious even to the blind. only Igbos have some unimportant opposing opinion to these claims. meanwhile the most terrible governors in the last 8years are Uzodima, Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi. Imagine 3 of the 5 governors in SE are Nigeria's most useless governors in Nigeria currently but you'll not see or hear Igbos calling them out

If misplaced priorities are a secret of people it'd definitely be Igbos

Is laolu akande related to baba akande in anyway?