By Adedayo Akinwale:
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted the women’s campaign team for its presidential campaign with Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, as the grand patron.
This came as the presidential candidate of the ruling party, Senator Bola Tinubu, appointed the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni as an adviser on party integration and reconciliation of the members of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
The APC Women Campaign Team comprises 1,200 strong members, which also comprises Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the party’s presidential candidate and Hajiya Nana Shettima as chairperson and co-chairperson of the women’s campaign team respectively.A former member of the House of Representatives from Borno State, Asabe Villita was appointed the National Coordinator of the team with Lauretta Onochie, an aide to President Buhari, as her deputy.
However, Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, is noticeably absent from the campaign list released yesterday in Abuja by Rinsola Abiola, daughter of late Chief MKO Abiola, who is also named in the media and administrative committees of the campaign team.
THISDAY had reported the exclusion of Prof. Osinbajo from the list of the APC Presidential Campaign Council released by the APC a week ago.Osinbajo lost the APC presidential primaries to his former boss, Tinubu at the convention in June. While other aspirants have been drafted into the campaign, the vice president was excluded from the campaign council.
Tinubu is believed to have nominated Osinbajo for the office of vice president in 2015.To debunk speculations of a rift between Tinubu and Osinbajo, the ruling party had in a statement claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari requested the exclusion of his deputy and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to allow them to focus on governance.President Buhari is the head of the council.
The APC is still struggling with backlash over its Muslim-Muslim ticket and these officials are two of the highest-ranking Christians in the administration.The women’s campaign in the North-west Zone will be coordinated by Dr. Zainab Baugudu, wife of the Kebbi Governor while Falmata Zulum, the First Lady of Borno State, will be in charge of the North-east.
Olufolake Abdulrazaq, wife of the Kwara Governor will coordinate efforts in the North-central and Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of the Lagos Governor, will superintend over the South-west.Imo First Lady Chioma Ikeaka-Uzodimma will also coordinate the South-east while Linda Ayade, wife of the Cross River Governor, will spearhead the women’s campaign in the South-south.
The statement also indicated that wives of governors in APC-controlled states will serve as state coordinators in APC states, while notable APC women in non-APC-controlled States will take charge.
Florence Ajimobi, widow of the former governor of Oyo State and Zainab Ibrahim, the APC Deputy National Women Leader, among others, was chosen to coordinate activities in States not controlled by the APC, according to the Nation.
According to the statement, all ministers’ wives, all female senators, all female ministers and all APC deputy governors’ wives are members of the campaign team.The administrative secretariat is headed by Wahab Alawiye-King, who is also the chairman of the committee on strategic planning.
Fatima Raji-Rasaki, a former Senator, chairs the committee on logistics, while the media team is chaired by Modele Sarafatu-Yusuf.The committee on finance and special duty is headed by Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, a former deputy governor in Lagos State and Abike Dabiri has been saddled with the responsibility of the Diaspora Committee.
Veteran actor, Joke Sylva, is leading the performing arts committee of the campaign.The team directed that all appointees are to collect their letters of appointment at the Tinubu/Shettima Women Presidential Campaign Office at No 2 Kainji Crescent, off Lake Chad Crescent, Maitama, Abuja.
Meanwhile, APC presidential candidate, Tinubu, has appointed the Governor of Yobe State, Buni as an adviser on party integration and reconciliation Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
Tinubu in the letter of appointment dated August 8, 2022, said Buni’s appointment was fitting and appropriate given his impressive political achievement and the exemplary leadership he has demonstrated as governor of and as a party member.
He said: “By way of this letter, we are pleased to formally convey your appointment as the Adviser on Party Integration & Reconciliation of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council
“We are grateful that you have joined our campaign team. We know you will do your utmost in this new responsibility to conduct an effective, message-driven campaign leading us to victory in the 2023 presidential election.
“Together, not only can we ensure victory for our party in the February 2023 election, but we shall also move Nigeria along the path of national greatness by building on the achievements of our party and the President Buhari administration in providing progressive good governance to Nigerians.”
