Tobias Sylvester
The presidential campaign council list of the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, was released on Friday with several notable names of party chieftains missing.
APC Releases List Of Tinubu’s Campaign Council
The 422-man list has names of political heavyweights including APC governors, ministers, lawmakers, ambassadors as well as serving and past public office holders.
In the latest list released by the Presidential Campaign Council Secretary, James Faleke, in Abuja on Friday night, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, retained his position as Director-General just as Deputy Director-General (Operations), Adams Oshiomhole, and Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga.
However, there are shocking omission of party stalwarts, many of whom have been at loggerheads or engaged in cold war with Tinubu over his preference for the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket.
They include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and one of Tinubu’s sweat merchant, Adebayo Shittu, who heads one of his biggest support groups — Asiwaju Tinubu-Shettima Coalition for Good Governance.
While the camp of Osinbajo had distanced itself from Tinubu after his emergence as winner of the APC presidential ticket, the duo of Dogara and Lawal had remained a perennial thorn in Tinubu’s flesh for selecting ex-Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as running mate.
However, ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, first runner-up at the primary, was named Special Adviser on Infrastructure.
President Muhammadu Buhari is the PCC Chairman, Tinubu is the Deputy Chairman, and APC National Chairman, Deputy Chairman II.
Vice Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima is the Vice Chairman; Plateau Governor Simon Lalong, Director General; Adams Oshiomhole, Deputy Director, Operations Hadiza Usman, Deputy Director, Administration.
Others who made the list include hundreds of former and serving Governors, Senators, House of Representatives members and Ministers.
The rest are government officials, party elders (Campaign Patrons) and chieftains in States, women and youth leaders, as well as thespians.
APC Governors (and governorship candidates) will serve as the Coordinator of their States. In addition to the role, a few of them will also act as Zonal Coordinator or Special Adviser.
The Directors are Festus Keyamo, Public Affairs; Femi Fani-Kayode, New Media; Bayo Onanuga, Media and Publicity; Mohammed Idris, Strategic Communications; Aminu Jaji, Contact and Mobilization.
Bello Goronyo, Youth Mobilization; Birnin Kudu, Parliamentarian; Mustapha Muhaja, Campaign Planning; Wale Edun, Finance; Babatunde Fashola, Election Planning and Monitoring.
Gbemisola Saraki, Trade and Economic; Bobboi Kagama, Labour; Abike Dabiri, Protocol and Events; Nuhu Ribadu, Stakeholders Relations; Musa Babayo, Policy and Research; Ade Omole, Diaspora.
Hassan Liman, Legal; Jubril Abdulmalik, Intelligence and Security; Kolade Alabi, Local Government; Musiliu Obanikoro, SDGs; Ayuba Gufwan, PWD; Jack Rich, Fund Raising; Zack Orji, Performing Arts, among others.
KanyiDaily recalls that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had also constituted its presidential campaign organization ahead of the commencement of election campaigns for the 2023 general election.
