Bwala argues Osinbajo, Boss Mustapha rejected membership of APC campaign council

Bwala said on Osinbajo’s exclusion from the APC Campaign Council: “Was there no governance in 2019 when they were part of the team?. Americans call it “damage control” Africans call it “medicine after death.”

By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor 

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha’s exclusion from the Campaign Council of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has continued to elicit mixed reactions.

Daniel Bwala, the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said the statement by Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, that Buhari directed the exclusion of Osinbajo and Mustapha from the campaign council, was ‘medicine after death.’

He said in a tweet: “In a bid to cover the crisis, they released a statement that No1 asked that they be left out to concentrate on governance. Was there no governance in 2019 when they were part of the team?. Americans call it “damage control” Africans call it “medicine after death.”

The absence of Osinbajo’s name on the 422-man list had attracted different comments.

Osinbajo, an estranged ally of Tinubu, is among those who challenged him for the ruling party’s presidential ticket.

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However, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who came second in the primaries, made it to the list.

Explaining the reason in a statement on Saturday, Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the campaign, said President Muhammadu Buhari requested that Osinbajo and Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, should not be part of the campaign council so they could focus on governance.

“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 (APC) 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.

“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.”