Revealed: Why President Buhari Excluded Osinbajo, SGF From APC Presidential Campaign List – Council

By Damilare Adeleye

The Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council has explained that President Muhammadu Buhari directed the exclusion of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo from the party campaign council.

The team added that the exclusion of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, from the Council was deliberate and ordered by the president.

The Nigerian Voice recalls that Vice President Osinbajo had contested the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential ticket in spite of pressure on him to step down for Tinubu.

In a statement by Festus Keyamo, the Council spokesperson, he dismissed apprehension over Osinbajo’s exclusion from the campaign council as needless because “there is no cause for concern.”

The statement read in part: “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 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.

“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 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.”