The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released a 422-member Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) ahead of the commencement of the party’s 2023 presidential campaign to be headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Curiously, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is the only high profile member of the party not listed in the lengthy list.
According to the list of members of the council released in Abuja on Saturday, Bola Tinubu, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate and Abdullahi Adamu, APC national chairman, are to serve as deputy chairmen of the council.
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau is the director-general, with James Faleke as council secretary.
Kashim Shettima, the party’s vice-presidential candidate, is the vice chairman of the council and Adams Oshiomhole, former APC national chairman is the deputy director-general (Operations). At the same time, Hadiza Usman is the deputy director-general (Admin).
The 422-man campaign council has Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and chairman Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) as vice-chairman and state coordinator.
Godswill Akpabio, a former Akwa-Ibom governor, is vice-chairmen (South-South), and Uju Kennedy, the former female APC presidential aspirant, is the vice-chairman South-East.
Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa is the regional coordinator and chairman for north and his state; Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi, regional co-ordinator South and Ebonyi; Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River is the regional director South-South.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is the zonal coordinator for South-West and Ondo State; Governor Abubakar Sani Bello is the zonal coordinator for North-Central and his state.
Governor Muhammed Yahaya is the zonal coordinator for the North-East and Gombe, and Governor Bello Matawalle is the zonal coordinator for the North-West and Zamfara.
The list showed that all APC governors were coordinators of the presidential council in their respective states, and where there were no sitting governors of the party, its governorship candidates were the coordinators.
Others appointed were Governor Yahaha Bello of Kogi as a national youth coordinator, Felix Nicholas, deputy national youth coordinator; Festus Keyamo, spokesperson; Chris Tarka, deputy secretary; Governor Kayode Fayemi as the coordinator for Ekiti State and Adviser Foreign Affairs.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan is made senior adviser on strategic planning, Femi Gbajabiamila, adviser on legal matters, and Aliyu Wamako, former Sokoto State governor, is the adviser on special duties.
Rotimi Amaechi is the adviser on infrastructure; Ibikunle Amosun, the adviser on contacts and mobilisation; Dele Alake, the adviser on media, communications and public affairs.
Others are Abdullahi Ganduje, adviser political affairs and Kano coordinator; Nasir El-Rufai, coordinator, Kaduna State and senior adviser, policy, strategy and enforcement and Abdulrahaman Danbazzau, adviser, strategic engagement.
Mr Faleke, secretary to the council, advised all nominees to pick their appointment letters on Monday at the APC presidential campaign office.
The PCC, with its many directorates, will be inaugurated on September 26 at the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja.
