Festus Keyamo has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari directed that his vice, Yemi Osinbajo, should not be included in the APC presidential campaign council.
This followed reactions that triggered the absence of Mr Osinbajo from the list of the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign council.
The vice-president contested the ticket of the All Progressives Congress presidential primary in June against Mr Tinubu, who is presumed to be his political benefactor.
“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,” Mr Keyamo said.
The junior labour minister in the Buhari-led regime, who also doubles as the spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign council, revealed this in a statement Saturday.
On Friday, the APC released a list of 422-member Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) ahead of the commencement of the party’s 2023 presidential campaign.
In the list sighted by Peoples Gazette, Mr Buhari is expected to head the campaign council. Mr Osinbajo was the only high-profile member of the ruling APC not listed.
In an attempt to justify the controversial list with the non-inclusion of Mr Osinbajo, Mr Keyamo explained that it would be wrong for all the key functionaries of government in the Buhari regime to abandon their positions for electioneering campaigns.
“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,” Mr Keyamo added.
