The All Progressives Congress has given reasons for the exclusion of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo from the Campaign Council of its Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The absence of Osinbajo’s name on the 422-man list which was released by the APC on Friday night had attracted different comments across Nigeria.
However, in a statement on Saturday, Festus Keyamo, spokesman for the campaign, said President Muhammadu Buhari requested that Osinbajo and Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, should not be part of the campaign council so they could focus on governance.
The statement reads: “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.”
Osinbajo, an estranged ally of Tinubu, is among those who challenged him for the ruling party’s presidential ticket which held on June 7, 2022.
However, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who came second in the primaries, made it to the list.
