2023: APC’s Bola Tinubu Shortlists El-Rufai And Oshiomhole For Campaign DG
Moves are already underway to pick a campaign Director-General for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Naija News reports that the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed the presidential and the National Assembly electioneering campaigns for September 28 in compliance with Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for February 25, 2023.
Ahead of the commencement of campaigns, the ruling APC is reportedly considering zoning the director general of the party’s presidential campaign council to the North-West as compensation for the zone missing out on the vice-presidential ticket.
Recall that Bola Tinubu had picked a former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima, from the North-East zone as his running mate.
A top source in Tinubu’s camp told The PUNCH that the APC and its presidential candidate have decided that the director general will be picked from the North-West.
According to the source, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and former Edo State Governor and APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, are being considered.
The source said, “A decision has been taken to zone it to the North-West. The zone will produce the campaign director general. I can also tell you that the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, is being favoured for the role.
“Though the name of a former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, also came up as another good candidate for the role, I think the North-West will take it from him.
“You know the former governor of Edo State was the party’s chairman in 2019, and he worked with Asiwaju during the presidential campaign. That notwithstanding, I think Oshiomhole will also play a prominent role in the campaign.
“Don’t also forget that the Babachir Lawal panel that recommended the kind of persons to pick as running mate also recommended that the campaign DG should come from the North and the chosen person must not be running for any election.”
Also, the media director of Tinubu’s campaign group, Bayo Onanuga, told the publication that all stakeholders are involved in deliberating on who would become the DG.
Onanuga said: “There will be two campaign teams. The party is setting up one, and the candidate is setting up another, but they are going to work together. They are still talking about what should be.”
When asked the roles the governors will play in the composition of the campaign council, he said all stakeholders are still in discussions
“It is being discussed, the candidate and the party and everyone are discussing this,” he said.
This article was originally published on Naija News
