Tinubu-Shettima: Condemnation trails APC women campaign council composition

By Adeleye Kunle

The composition of the Tinubu/Shettima Women Presidential Campaign Team by the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been faulted.

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) membership was similarly criticized by governors, party leaders, and members.

The opposition to the new list came just hours after the media committee made it public at the weekend.

The APC appointed First Lady Aisha Buhari as Grand Patron; the wives of presidential candidates, Remi Tinubu and Nana Shettima, are Chairman and Co-Chairman.

Former federal lawmaker, Asabe Vilita Bashir from Borno is the National Coordinator, while presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie is the Deputy.

Reacting, the All Progressives Congress Support Group (APCSG) condemned the exclusion of female stalwarts regarded as influential.

They mentioned Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, APC National Women Leader, Betta Edu, and the only female governorship candidate (Adamawa), Senator Aishatu a.k.a. Binani.

Binani’s victory was unprecedented as the politician defeated former Governor Jibrilla Bindow, and Nuhu Ribadu, ex-chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the primary.

A statement by APCSG spokesman, Dingyadi Haruna said with their omission that the party’s leadership seemed to be bent on creating internal crisis ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The group accused APC of reaching a decision that saw chieftains with strong political structures and followership edged out from playing major roles in the campaign.

“This is while the party was hit with the news of the disqualification of Governor Oyetola of Osun State as APC candidate in the July 16 election, following the role of Yobe Governor Mai Bala Buni as Caretaker Chairman.

“The outcome that a constitutional lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, had said could collapse the party.

“Governors, under the Progressives Governors Forum, and the National Working Committee showed their grievances over the presidential campaign list which was set up without their interest met.

“The APC may be in for electoral doom in 2023 as the campaigns of the party may lack proper coordination unlike in 2015 and 2019”, the statement warned