The Tinubu Campaign Organisation has defended its decision to exempt Vice President Yemi Osinbajo from the campaign council ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Osinbajo’s name was missing in the 422-member campaign council released on Saturday.
The consists of many presidential aspirants who vied for the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential ticket against Bola Tinubu, at the Special Presidential Convention of the ruling party.
Some notable individuals in the list are Chief Bisi Akande, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Zainab Asipita Ogundana and 69 others named as Campaign Patrons.
However, Osinbajo who equally vied for the ticket was omitted from the list despite his close ties with Tinubu, prompting questions of possible friction between him and his former political principal, Tinubu.
Reacting to the development, the Campaign Organisation said the Vice President’s name was left out on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari.
It said the decision had nothing to do with any internal crisis in the APC.
Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, in a statement said the President urged that Osinbajo and Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, be left out to concentrate on state matters.
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Keyamo said, “Nothing can be farther from the facts. For the avoidance of doubt, President Muhammadu Buhari is the Chairman of the Campaign Council. As a result, the President 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.
“Our candidates and the leadership 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 irresponsibly governed the country before us and our party is not in total disarray like those who wish to ‘rescue’ the country, but cannot simply manage their internal affairs.”
Source: Vanguard
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