Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said one of the reasons he did not attend the ceremony for the presentation of the award given to him by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism was because of the rearrest of the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.
The Department of State Services had on Friday rearrested Sowore, who has been in detention for over four months, in the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Criticism had trailed the rearrest of Sowore, who has been in detention for planning #RevolutionNow alongside Olawale Bakare.
Osinbajo, who sent the letter to the awards organisers on Sunday, the same day the event held, gave two reasons for his absence.
First was that he was away in the United Arab Emirates, while the second was the rearrest of Sowore.
The Vice President said in the letter: “I am extremely grateful for the recognition and award of the ‘Integrity Specialty of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism’s Anti-corruption Defender Award of 2019’ to me.
“The award, I note, is for our Justice reform efforts in Lagos State. I had accepted the award with pride on behalf of the excellent Justice Sector team we had.
“However, two reasons explain my absence. First is that I am currently in Abu Dhabi for an international meeting under the auspices of the government of the UAE where I am the keynote speaker.
“Second, in view of the developments on Friday in the Sowore case, I think it would be insensitive and inappropriate to attend the ceremony.
“Please accept my heartfelt apologies and extend the same to the other members of the organizing team. God bless you.”
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