Spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo SAN has explained why Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was left out of the 422-member council.
Keyamo gave the explanation in a Saturday statement.
In the list released by Secretary of the council, Hon. James Faleke on Friday, Osinbajo’s name was conspicuously absent.
Other prominent members of the APC missing from the list were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.
However, Keyamo said Osinbajo was not named in the list just so he could “concentrate on governance of the country and administration of government”.
He dismissed reports of rumblings in the party.
Keyamo 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 (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, 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.”