The Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council has said that the exclusion of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo from the council is deliberate and was directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Apart from Osinbajo, the President also ordered the exclusion of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, the Council said, on Saturday, in a statement by its Spokesman, Mr. Festus Keyamo.
Osinbajo contested for the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential ticket in spite of pressure on him to step down for Tinubu.
Since the conclusion of the primaries the vice president has not made any comment in support of Tinubu fuelling speculations of frosty relations between the duo, who were of the same political family in Lagos.
Osinbajo was Lagos attorney general and commissioner for Justice during Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor.
Keyamo dismissed apprehension over Osinbajo’s exclusion from the campaign council as needless because “there is no cause for concern.”
The statement read in part: “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 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.