Former presidential adviser, Senator Babafemi Ojudu has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu once told him he had been invited by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to serve as Finance Minister in a proposed government of national unity.
Ojudu made this known in an exclusive interview with Edmund Obilo on Splash FM 105.5, where he shared behind-the-scenes stories from Nigeria’s political landscape.
According to Ojudu, the conversation took place during a private visit to Tinubu’s residence in Imoyi, Lagos.
“He called me one day and said I should come to Ikoyi, and I went to him,” Ojudu recounted. “When I got there, he said, ‘Congratulations to me.’ I said, ‘What’s that?’ and he said he had just been called by Yar’Adua to come and be his Finance Minister under a government of unity.”
The revelation points to a lesser-known chapter in the political history of post-2007 Nigeria, when Yar’Adua, after winning the presidency, reportedly considered reaching across political divides to form a unity government.
Though the appointment never materialized, Ojudu’s account suggests that Tinubu, despite leading the opposition at the time was recognized as a significant national figure with the capability to hold such a critical position.
Ojudu did not confirm whether Tinubu accepted or declined the offer, but the disclosure adds a fresh layer of depth to Tinubu’s longstanding political relevance and the cross-party engagements that have shaped Nigeria’s democratic journey.
The comment has sparked renewed interest in the political dynamics of the Yar’Adua era and Tinubu’s evolving role in national affairs long before his eventual emergence as Nigeria’s president.
