Ahead of the 2023 Presidential elections, Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, has been picked by the Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Director General of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council.
This put paid to the ambition of former Governor of Edo State and former national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, to clinch the position.
Though the Governors did not oppose Tinubu’s option to appoint Oshiomhole as chairman of the campaign council, they are insisting that their own choice, Lalong must be Campaign DG.
Because of the Muslim-Muslin ticket of Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, the Governors chose to reach out to a Northern Christian leader to head the campaign, hence their preference for Lalong over the Presidential candidate’s original choice of Oshiomhole.
The powerful Governors block within the APC had felt bad the way they were sidelined in the choice of the Presidential running mate, insisting this time that “the Governors can no longer be treated with levity,” said a source privy to the decision.
The choice of the Governors for campaign DG was sealed on Monday at the meeting the APC Governors had with the party’s Presidential candidate and his running mate in Lagos.
Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, had after the meeting told journalists that while the position of the campaign DG has been agreed upon, other positions were being discussed, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, would be briefed before a formal announcement is made.
El-Rufai, who was initially tipped for the job of campaign DG had declined as he preferred to concentrate on delivering his preferred candidate, Umar Sani, as the next Governor of Kaduna State in the coming 2023 elections.
Moreover, his choice would have added fuel to the cries of marginalization of Northern Nigeria Christians and given ammunition to those labelling APC as Muslim party as the President, Senate President, Speaker of the House, party chairman, Presidential candidate, running mate are already Muslims.
According to a source, “El-Rufai declined because his whole focus is to deliver Kaduna and it’s no walk over. So, he has to pay full attention to where he has invested the last eight years in order to ensure the continuity of his programmes.”
El-Rufai was first touted as the choice of the Governors as Tinubu’s running mate but the Presidential candidate wasn’t willing to listen to them as he embraced Shettima.
Moreover, Tinubu was not the first choice of El-Rufai as party’s flag bearer. Because of this, a source noted that the Kaduna State Governor would have preferred to be running mate to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo or former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
This is because Tinubu is perceived as being totalitarian with power and have always had no respect for his deputies or subordinates unless they are ready to play subservient roles.
For example, as Governor of Lagos State, Tinubu worked with three Deputy Governors – Senator Kofoworola Akerele-Bucknor-1999-2002, Mr. Femi Pedro -2002-2007 and .Prince Abiodun Ogunleye-2007. He allegedly treated each of them with disdain and stunted their political growth and influence.
In addition, Tinubu had issues with Babatunde Fashola as Governor but was couldn’t move against him because of his popularity.
He quarreled with Akinwumi Ambode and reduced him to a one-term Governor by his personal fiat. Sources noted that Ambode’s replacement, Babajide Sanwo-olu would have spent one term as Governor but for Tinubu’s Presidential ambition which made him allow the Governor to go for second term.