Governors who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday met with the National Working Committee (NWC) and other critical stakeholders including a former national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.
The meeting, which was held at the APC national headquarters in Abuja, however, failed to reach a consensus on when the party would kick-off its 2023 presidential campaign, Daily Trust gathered.
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Daily Trust reported yesterday that the ruling party was yet to kick-off its 2023 presidential campaign, seven days after the ban on public campaigns was lifted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC had lifted the ban on political campaigns on September 28, but the party is still neck-deep in a crisis over the composition of the council as its critical stakeholders, including governors, were aggrieved over a 422-member list released recently by the secretary of the campaign council, James Faleke.
Sequel to the acrimony that dogged the list, the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, in a statement, announced the postponement of their inauguration.
He said the decision was to pave the way for the inclusion of other stakeholders in the council before the inauguration and commencement of the campaigns.
But in an interview with newsmen after the meeting, Adamu, who was asked to state when the party would constitute, inaugurate its team and commence campaigns said, “Don’t be faster than your shadow.”
He added, “The fact of the matter is, we as a party, as APC, we will determine when we will do that as long as it is within the framework of INEC’s guidelines.”
The Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Kebbi State governor, Senator Atiku Bagudu, however, said the issue would be sorted out towards achieving victory for the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima.
He said, “I am happy that the party is solidly behind our candidate and whatever lists that have come out erroneously, we believe it will be sorted out.”
Speaking during the opening session, the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said the party would lose the 2023 presidential poll without the support of governors who are members of the party.
He said, “Being the chief executive officers of their various states, the onus of our great party lies in the hands of God and in their hands because they are the commanders of the party’s fortunes in their various states.
“We cannot make meaningful progress in the affairs of these states, particularly in an election year that is approaching. We cannot plan without the buy-in of our governors so that we can stand together, believing that we share the same aspirations.
“We will plan together to see how best we can deliver the interest of the party and ensure that victory is ours in the 2023 general election that is by the corner. That is the essence of this meeting.”
Our correspondent reports that Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Sani Bello (Niger), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), attended the meeting.
