BY: Mohammed Taoheed
Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian President, will lead the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for the February 25, 2023 general elections.
The ruling party, APC, disclosed this in a verified and confirmed 33-page enlarged membership list.
The list, taken as the final and signed by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, did not reveal the names of the 422 members with their positions as seen in the first list.
According to the lists, six governors are to take charge as coordinators in the six geo-political zones.
They are: governors Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo, Southwest); Hope Uzodinma, (Imo, Southeast); Prof. Ben Ayade (Cross River, Southsouth); Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger, Northcentral); Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe, Northeast) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara, Northwest).
The initial 422-member list released by the PCC Secretary, James Abiodun Faleke, received knocks for not being all-encompassing.
The final list released in Abuja last night, named President Buhari as the PCC chairman, the standard earer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu as Deputy Chairmen.
The presidential running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, is to serve as the vice chairman of the Council along with three others in the same capacity.
They are Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Mrs Uju Kennedy.
Mrs. Kennedy, is the only female presidential aspirant in the June 2022 special national convention and presidential primary.
In the new council, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, retained his position as Director-General, former national chairman Adams Oshiomhole is retained as deputy director-general (Operations); Hadiza Bala Usman, deputy director-general (Admin); Faleke (Secretary) and Christopher Takar, who will serve as Deputy Secretary.
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The Regional Coordinators are Jigawa State Governor Badaru Abubakar (North) and Ebonyi Governor David Umahi (Ebonyi).
The two APC Deputy National Chairmen, Senator Abubakar Kyari and Emma Eneukwu will serve as deputy regional coordinators for north and south respectively.
Other highlights of the council showed that all the party’s state governors and governorship candidates in the non-APC-controlled states are state coordinators.
Details of the lists further showed that all members of the National Working Committee (NWC), members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), former governors and deputy governors of the party, party members in the National Assembly, Speakers, deputy speakers and principal officers of Houses of Assembly in the states and party state chairmen are members of the team.
Further details of the list showed that all the Presidential aspirants at the June National Convention and presidential primary made the list, with most of them appointed as advisers. Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello retained his position as the National Youth Coordinator and coordinator his state.
In the council, 84 persons, mostly the founding fathers of the party and senior citizens are appointed as patrons.
A special directorate for Nollywood stars and musicians alongside entertainers such as Zack Orji, Jide Kosoko and 29 other thespians are enlisted in the council.
Track News Nigeria learnt that the Council will be inaugurated tomorrow by President Buhari at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The party manifesto and the policy document of the party’s flag bearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are also slated to be unveiled at the same venue.
