Lalong and Oshiomhole will lead the APC’s campaign team in 2023

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports.

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, will co-ordinate the presidential campaign council of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as director-general, subject to President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former Edo State Governor and ex-National Chairman of the APC, will be his deputy.

The opposition PDP’s efforts to form a campaign council have been hampered by crises related to the presidential primaries and the selection of a running mate.

According to Track News, the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; and APC governors agreed on the duo after a meeting in Abuja on Monday.

Indeed, after the meeting, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, told journalists that a director-general had been selected for the APC presidential campaign council but refused to name the individual.

Before making a formal announcement, the governor said President Buhari and APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Adamu would be briefed.

“This is a delegation from the Progressive Governors Forum led by our chairman, Dr. Atiku Bagudu, and representing the party is the national secretary.”

“We came to report on a task assigned to us by our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate to start broad consultations and develop a structure for the presidential campaign council.” We put some effort into it.

“We have briefed the candidate and his running mate, and inputs have been taken; our hope is that the candidate will consult more with the party leadership and brief Mr. President, and then we will formally unveil the presidential campaign council.”

“A decision on the director-general has been made, but other positions on the campaign council are still being discussed.” Before a formal announcement, the president, national chairman, and National Working Committee will be briefed,” el-Rufai said.

Adams Oshiomhole, who attended the meeting, was reported to be the APC presidential campaign council’s director-general, but he denied this.

According to a top party source, Governor Simon Lalong is the governors’ choice for campaign council D-G, with Oshiomhole as his deputy.

According to sources, the choice of Director-General was initially between Oshiomhole and Lalong.

Those in favor of Lalong argued that the APC needs a Northern Christian as D-G to assuage Northern Christians’ concerns about the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Governor el-Rufai was one of those previously mentioned in connection with the D-G position.

According to party insiders, the APC decided to appoint a Christian as D-G of the campaign council in light of the controversy surrounding the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. El-Rufai, the governor, is a Muslim.

The media team is led by Keyamo, Alake, and Onanuga.

Meanwhile, the APC campaign council’s media department is taking shape.

“The APC campaign council’s media department will be led by a triumvirate of directors, including Dele Alake as director of strategic communications, Bayo Onanuga as director of media and publicity, and Festus Keyamo as director of public affairs and chief spokesman,” a top Tinubu team member told Track News yesterday.

As the PDP BoT and others meet, reconciliation and campaign council are high on the agenda.

In the PDP, the post-presidential primaries and vice presidential candidate nomination crisis has put a halt to efforts to form a campaign council.

Some PDP governors and supporters of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike have reportedly listed conditions for supporting Atiku. Wike finished second in the presidential primaries and was the selection committee’s choice for the vice-presidential slot, but Atiku chose Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, a development that has caused consternation in the main opposition party.

Thus, unless there are last-minute changes, reconciliation efforts and the formation of the Presidential Campaign Council will be at the top of the agenda as members of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, and National Working Committee, NWC, meet today.

According to Track News, top members of the party have been holding a series of meetings to calm frayed nerves ahead of the meeting.

A member of the party’s BoT who requested anonymity in order not to “pre-empt the outcome of the meeting” stated that a great deal of effort had gone into the process.

According to Track News, the choice of Director-General was initially between Oshiomhole and Lalong.

Those in favor of Lalong argued that the APC needs a Northern Christian as D-G to assuage Northern Christians’ concerns about the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Governor el-Rufai was one of those previously mentioned in connection with the D-G position.

According to party insiders, the APC decided to appoint a Christian as D-G of the campaign council in light of the controversy surrounding the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. El-Rufai, the governor, is a Muslim.

The media team is led by Keyamo, Alake, and Onanuga.

Meanwhile, the APC campaign council’s media department is taking shape.

“The APC campaign council’s media department will be led by a triumvirate of directors, including Dele Alake as director of strategic communications, Bayo Onanuga as director of media and publicity, and Festus Keyamo as director of public affairs and chief spokesman,” a top Tinubu team member told Track News yesterday.

As the PDP BoT and others meet, reconciliation and campaign council are high on the agenda.

In the PDP, the post-presidential primaries and vice presidential candidate nomination crisis has put a halt to efforts to form a campaign council.

Some PDP governors and supporters of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike have reportedly listed conditions for supporting Atiku. Wike finished second in the presidential primaries and was the selection committee’s choice for the vice-presidential slot, but Atiku chose Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, a development that has caused consternation in the main opposition party.

Thus, unless there are last-minute changes, reconciliation efforts and the formation of the Presidential Campaign Council will be at the top of the agenda as members of the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, and National Working Committee, NWC, meet today.

According to Track News, top members of the party have been holding a series of meetings to calm frayed nerves ahead of the meeting.

A member of the party’s BoT who requested anonymity in order not to “pre-empt the outcome of the meeting” stated that a great deal of effort had gone into the process.

“We will meet later tomorrow (today) to iron out all of these issues,” the source said. They are not as serious as some of you in the media would have you believe.

“There are issues, as is typical in politics.” Our respected governors, regardless of which presidential candidate they supported in the primaries, are interested in the PDP’s victory in 2023 and have resolved to support the party in achieving that goal. Our collective survival as politicians and Nigerians is dependent on this.

“The reconciliation process is ongoing and will continue.” We are all aware that time is of the essence, and we must move quickly to establish the presidential campaign council.

“In order to have a strong campaign, we need everyone on board.” That is why we want to bring the people who have been wronged to the table, address their complaints, and move on. Our campaign team hopes to be fully operational by the middle of this month at the latest.”

When contacted, Mazi Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar, stated that the candidate and party leaders are working hard to resolve all outstanding issues.

“His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, as you already know, is a committed party man who is interested in party unity ahead of the 2023 elections and beyond,” he said. Discussions are ongoing, and we are confident that we will put this all behind us and move forward.”

In other news, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has appointed a broadcast professional, Mr. Adeniyi Taiwo Kunnu, as the spokesman of his 2023 campaign organization.

Kunnu, who holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Literature-in-English from Lagos State University, Ojo, and the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, is a doctoral student in Literature-in-English at the University of Abuja.

He has held professional positions in both the public and private sectors, including Lecturer, Department of English and Literature, Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo (2022), Researcher, Analyst, Training and Development Officer at Lagos Talks 91.3 FM, Ikoyi, Lagos (2020 – 2021), Head of Operations at IKD 106.1 FM, Ikorodu, Lagos (2020 – 2021), Head, News and Programmes, Roots TV, Abuja (July -September 2019), (August 2018 – June 2019).