APC Campaign Council Defends Governor Yahaya Bello For Not Attending Tinubu’s Campaign

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has given reasons why the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has not been attending campaign rallies of the party’s flag bearer, Bola Tinubu.

Some aggrieved loyalists of Tinubu have alleged that Bello, who is the National Youth Coordinator of the PCC, has not justified his inclusion in the campaign council.

One of such aggrieved APC loyalists, who pleaded anonymity told Punch “We understand that he was appointed as national youth coordinator to help galvanise support for Tinubu in Kogi and other states in the North-Central region. But what we have been seeing from him so far is unimpressive.

“He only goes about calling himself ‘White Lion’ but not participating in all the rallies. Even that young Seyi Tinubu has done more than him in terms of youth mobilisation in the last two months. He has not justified his inclusion in the PCC at all.”

However, in reaction to the allegation, the chief spokesman for the APC campaign council, Festus Keyamo, said many people did not understand the effort Bello had put into the campaign.

Keyamo explained that Bello’s absence from most of the rallies did not connote apathy.

He said, “I spoke with Yahaya Bello yesterday and I can say he is one of the best strategic planners we have. With what he has set now, by the time he explodes, Nigerians will know.

“You know he heads a very strategic department and he is more than ready for the campaign 100 per cent.”

Meanwhile, Bello had earlier come out to state the reason why he is yet to be active in the campaigns of the APC presidential candidate.

The governor told Seyi Tinubu, son of the APC flag bearer, who paid him a visit in Lokoja, that he has since the flag off of Tinubu’s presidential campaign being working underground for him.

“I am with Asiwaju (Tinubu). I am doing some underground work for the success of Asiwaju as President and for the APC, which is why I have not been following the campaign train up and down. I may not be following Asiwaju up and down, but what I’m doing is far above what the eye can see.

“Come 2023, we will record a landslide victory, ’’ the governor said.