Osinbajo, Amaechi Ganduje Others Absent At Tinubu & APC Presidential Campaign Council Unveiling (pics)
Prominent chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were absent on Friday at the unveiling of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the party and its Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu’s Action Plan at the Presidential Villa.
Those absent at the well-attended event include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, one of Tinubu’s major ally and governor of Kano State, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Ganduje and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi. Also absent was Ameachi’s former counterpart in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogboonaya Onu, but those present include the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Others include the Director- General of the PCC and Plateau State governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, his Kaduna State counterpart, Mallam Nasir el-Rufa’i a former National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani among others. National Chairman of the APC, Senator Adamu Abdullahi led other members of the National Working Committee as well as other relevant organs of the party to the event.
Sources close to Tinubu told Saturday Telegraph during the week that efforts were being made to ensure that aggrieved members of the party are brought on board to ensure a comprehensive victory at the forthcoming general elections. “We are aware of some discontent within the party over the emergence of Asiwaju as the candidate of the party and we are not resting on our laurels on this. We are indeed working on it. We have secured the needed assurances from Governor el-Rufa’i to help in this regard,” a source close to Tinubu told one of our correspondents. A source very close to Osinbajo told one of our correspondents that his principal stayed away from the event due to a presidential order that some officials of state should stick to the work schedule to avoid distraction.
“The spokesman of the Presidential Campaign Council has answered this question that you are posing to me and I need not speak further on it. The Vice President stayed away from the event because the President asked him and certain public office holders not to be part of the PCC,” the source who pleaded not to be mentioned said in a telephone chat with one of our correspondents. This notwithstanding, President Muhammadu Buhari personally presided over the event that took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday amid pomp. Addressing party members present, Buhari said Nigeria would be safer with the ruling party beyond 2023 pledging that to be at the forefront of electing Tinubu as his successor. According to him, electing Tinubu would consolidate on the achievements of his administration, saying the presidential candidate has the capacity, visionary leadership and track record to do more for the country.
