• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

Buhari orders exclusion of Osinbajo, Mustapha from APC presidential campaign council – Keyamo

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Festus Keyamo, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Council, said President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered for the exclusion of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of federation from the council.

According to Keyamo, Buhari, “specifically directed that the Vice President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation should be left out of the campaign council to concentrate on the governance of the country and administration of government.”

BusinessDay earlier reported that APC late Friday night released the list of the party’s presidential campaign council for the 2023 general election with President Buhari as chairman, Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate and Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the party as deputy chairmen.

Osinbajo, unlike others who aspired for the APC presidential ticket such as Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Rotimi Amaechi, Felix Nicholas and Kennedy Uju, is not a member of the 422-member presidential campaign council.

The situation elicited interpretations and media reports that something was amiss within the ranks of the ruling APC.

But, Keyamo, in a statement on Saturday, said there was no cause for alarm with regards to the absence of the vice president in the council.

“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.

Read also: Buhari heads APC 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.

“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,” Keyamo stated.