President Buhari specifically directed that Osinbajo and Boss Mustapha should be left out of the Campaign Council, the statement said.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council on Saturday said that the exclusion of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo from the council was directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Spokesman of the6 council, Festus Keyamo, who is also the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said in a statement that Buhari also ordered the exclusion of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.
The exclusion of Osinbajo and Mustapha, both Christians, had raised concerns that they did not approve of the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
The opposition also took advantage of it to sell the narrative that Osinbajo and Mustapha asked not to be included because of the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Osinbajo, who was Lagos Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice during Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor, contested the APC presidential ticket in spite of pressure on him to step down for Tinubu.
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In his statement, however, Keyamo dismissed rumour of a cold war in the APC, saying “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.”