In a move to pacify aggrieved governors, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has suspended the inauguration of its 422-man campaign council earlier fixed for Wednesday.
Plateau State Governor and Director-General, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Simon Lalong, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday morning.
A party source told Tribune Online that the decision was taken to pacify aggrieved governors whose nominees were missing on the list released at the weekend.
“The APC Presidential Campaign Council got the hint that some of them are threatening to stay away from Wednesday event to openly register their displeasure,” the source revealed.
Bayo Onanuga, Director of Media and Publicity in a statement on Monday assured the governors that their nominees would ultimately make the list.
“The council also assures our esteemed governors that the secretariat of the council has not jettisoned the names submitted by them,” he said.
In the statement on Tuesday, Plateau State Governor said Wednesday inauguration was cancelled “due to the expansion of the list to accommodate more stakeholders and interests within the APC family, we have decided to adjust the time-table of these activities in order to ensure everyone is on board before activities officially commence. Consequently, the activities earlier announced for the 28th of September will no longer hold.”
The statement read in part: “Recall that we had earlier earmarked a peace walk and prayers for Wednesday, September 28, 2022, to officially kick-off our campaigns for the 2023 Presidential Elections. We had also announced that the members of the Campaign Council report to the campaign headquarters on that day to collect their letters of appointment.
“However, due to the expansion of the list to accommodate more stakeholders and interests within the APC family, we have decided to adjust the timetable of these activities in order to ensure everyone is on board before activities officially commence. Consequently, the activities earlier announced for the 28th of September will no longer hold.
“As the ruling and most attractive party in Nigeria, we understand the sacrifices and understanding of our teeming members who are more than willing to volunteer themselves for this great task ahead. It also shows the enormous love that the party members have for our candidates
“A new date and timetable of events will be announced soon.”