The All Progressives Congress, APC, 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, on Friday night, released a 422-man list of the members of the Council, who will be tasked with the responsibility of ensuring victory for the party’s Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 general elections, .
However, the list which has former Ministers, serving Governors, and some other heavyweights, did not include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who refused to step down for Tinubu at the party’s Presidential primary election, earlier this year.
Also, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, among others, who are not in good term with Tinubu, were not included in the list.
Reacting to the exclusion, the Spokesperson for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, gave reasons for the exclusion of Vice President Osinbajo and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, from the 422-man list of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.
According to him, their absence was because President Muhammadu Buhari “specifically directed” that they should be left out of the Campaign Council, to concentrate on the governance of the country.
Keyamo made this known in a statement on Saturday, hours after the party released the longlist.
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to some stories making the rounds that there may be something amiss within the family of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the name of our own revered and respected Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, is not included in the list of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
“Nothing can be farther from the facts. For the avoidance of doubt, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, is the Chairman of the Campaign Council. As a result, Mr. President has specifically directed that the Vice-President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha should be left out of the Campaign Council to concentrate on the governance of the country and administration of Government.
“As a responsible Party and Government, all the key functionaries of government cannot abandon their positions for electioneering campaigns. The APC has the mandate of the Nigerian people to administer the country on their behalf at least till May 29, 2023, and this we intend to do with all sense of responsibility.”
Keyamo also said that the list released is subject to “periodic review”.
He added: “Our Candidates and theLleadership of the APC have also indicated that the list is not sacrosanct, as there may be periodic review of it as circumstances dictate.
“We will not toe the path of those who governed the country in an irresponsible manner before us and our party is not in total disarray like those who wish to ‘rescue’ the country, but cannot simply manage their own internal affairs.”