Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have failed to be included in the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council of Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima, whose members were revealed on Friday.
While Osinbajo was Tinubu’s fellow presidential aspirant in June, Dogara has been critical of Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying northern Christians have been marginalised in the scheme of things in the party.
The camp of Osinbajo had distanced itself from the former Lagos governor after his emergence as winner of the APC presidential ticket, while Dogara had remained a perennial thorn in Tinubu’s flesh for selecting ex-Borno Governor Senator Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as running mate.
Dogara had predicted on Tuesday that the adoption of a Muslim-Muslim ticket was a fruitless political effort that was “doomed to end in spectacular failure.”
The ex-speaker made the statement while delivering his keynote address at a summit tagged ‘Meet The Church,’ organised by the Nigeria National Christian Coalition.
It was earlier reported that Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and former Transportation Minister, Amaechi, were not appointed into key roles in their regions and only made the council as senior adviser and member respectively.
A statement on Friday by the secretary to the council, James Faleke, had read, “We are pleased to announce the nominees of the leadership of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, as per enclosed. All nominees are kindly advised to pick their appointment letters from the undersigned on Monday, 26th September, 2022 at 12noon.
The venue is Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council on Plot 781, Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Area Abuja. All other members will be contacted by the leaders of their respective directorates.”
“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.