Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was exempted from the Tinubu/Shettima campaign council to enable him concentrate on governance.
The spokesman of the campaign council and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, made this known on Saturday in a statement.
His explanation was made against the backdrop of the widespread report of the conspicuous absence of Osinbajo in the 422-man campaign team just unveiled.
He debunked the insinuation that all was not well within the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He said rather, Osinbajo’s exemption was based on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari in order to ensure that governance was negatively affected despite the campaign.
Recall that Osinbajo, to the chagrin of many, vied for the party’s presidential ticket against Tinubu.
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Giving the reason for the exemption of the vice president from the campaign council, 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, 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.”
Keyamo, however, explained that the list was not sacrosanct as there might be periodic review of it as circumstances might 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,” he said.
