Festus Keyamo, spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APCPCC), has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the removal Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president and Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, from the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
The Tinubu campaign had on Friday, published 422 names as members of its PCC for the 2023 presidential election, with Osinbajo, Mustapha, among others missing from the list.
Political observers were, however, quick to observe that despite comprising names of party dignitaries including APC governors, ministers, lawmakers, ambassadors as well as serving and past public office holders, several notable names of members and former aspirants were omitted.
Aside from Osinbajo and Mustapha, other missing names included 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; Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu and one of Tinubu’s sweat merchant, Adebayo Shittu, who heads one of his biggest support groups — Asiwaju Tinubu-Shettima Coalition for Good Governance.
However, providing explanation for the omissions, Keyamo in a statement on Saturday, said it was all down to the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The statement said, “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.”
The statement came a day after the APC published 422 names as members of its PCC for the 2023 presidential election.
Keyamo in the statement added that, “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.”