The spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Council, Festus Keyamo on Saturday said the exclusion of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo from the campaign of the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to ensure that governance was not sacrificed on the altar of politics.
Keyamo said that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the exclusion of both the Vice President and Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of federation from the council to ensure that the wheel of governance is kept rolling without hitch.
He said that 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.”
Last Friday, the APC listed President Buhari as leader of the presidential campaign council for the 2023 general election as chairman.
Bola Tinubu, the party’s presidential candidate, and Abdullahi Adamu, the APC national chairman, are to serve as the deputy chairmen of the council while Simon Lalong, the governor of Plateau, is the director general with James Faleke as secretary to the council.
According to the list of the APC presidential council released late Friday night which was sighted by BusinessDay, Kashim Shettima, the party’s vice presidential candidate is the vice chairman of the council and Adams Oshiomhole, former APC national vice chairman is the deputy director-general (Operations) while Hadiza Bala Usman is the deputy director-general (Admin).
The 422-man campaign council has Atiku Bagudu, the Kebbi State governor and chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) as vice chairman and state coordinator; Godswill Akpabio, former Akwa-Ibom governor, vice chairmen (South-south and Uju Kennedy, the former female APC presidential is vice chairman South-east.
Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa state is the regional coordinator Chairman for North and his state;
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State regional coordinator South and Ebonyi; Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River is regional director -South-south and his state; Governor Rotimi Akeresolu is zonal coordinator for South-west and Ondo State; Governor Abubakar Sani Bello is the zonal coordinator for North-central and his state; Governor Muhammed Inuwa Yahaha is zonal coordinator for the North east and Gombe State and Governor Bello Matawalle is the zonal coordinator for the North-west and Zamfara state.
The list showed that all APC governors are coordinators of the presidential council in their respective states and where there are no sitting governors of the party, governorship candidates are the coordinators.
Others appointed are Governor Yahaha Bello, Kogi State and national youth coordinator; Felix Nicholas, deputy national youth coordinator; Festus Keyamo, spokesperson, Chris Tarka, deputy secretary, Governor Kayode Fayemi is the coordinator for Ekiti state and Adviser Foreign Affairs.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan is made senior adviser on strategic planning; Femi Gbajabiamila, Adviser on Legal matters; Aliyu Wamako, former Sokoto State governor, adviser on special duties; Rotimi Amaechi, adviser on infrastructure; Ibikunle Amosun, adviser on Contacts and mobilisation; Dele Alake, adviser on Media, communications and public affairs.
Read also: Buhari orders exclusion of Osinbajo, Mustapha from APC presidential campaign council – Keyamo
Others are Abdullahi Ganduje, adviser politcal affairs and Kano coordinator; Nasir El-rufai, coordinator, Kaduna State and senior adviser, policy, strategy and enforcement, Abdulrahaman Danbazzau adviser, strategic engagement
Faleke, secretary to the council advised all nominees to pick their appointment letters on Monday at the APC presidential campaign office.
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 statement, which listed the roles of party stalwarts in the council, was however, silent on the role of the Vice President in the campaign, which sparked permutations on social media platforms.
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.
“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.
