2023: Lalong, Oshiomhole To Lead Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign

The All progressives Congress, APC is set to announce Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state as the Director General of its presidential campaign baring any last minute change, the magazine has learnt.

Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna state and former Governor Adams Oshiomhole had earlier been penciled down by the party to lead the campaign in the make or mar 2023 presidential election.

The party has now made a U-turn, following the backlash that trailed its Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, according to sources who said the party is worried as a result of the outbursts that have greeted the choice of Kashim Shetima as the running mate to Bola Tinubu its presidential candidate.

Tinubu had met with some APC governors and other chieftains on Monday, in his Lagos home where the decision to appoint Lalong was arrived at.

Governors who attended the meeting are Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano, Atiku Bagudu, Kebbi, Abubakar Badaru, Jigawa, Bello Matawalle, Zamfara and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos.

A source who spoke with the magazine said the ruling party was not happy that many APC governors did not attend the meeting.

“There was need to speak to the feelings of those that are angry, particularly those who are not happy with the choice of Shetima as Tinubu’s running mate. The last-minute decision to choose the Plateau governor was arrived at in order to assuage the feelings of particularly Northern Christians. El Rufai and Oshiomhole were already in consideration as DG and Deputy DG, respectively but we don’t want to go into the election without addressing this issue,” a source said.

The high-profile meeting comes on the back of a meeting held last week in Abuja, the nation’s capital by APC Christians top shots from the northern part of the country, including former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, Senator Abo, amongst others where they roundly condemned the party’s decision to contest next year’s election with two Muslims as its presidential candidate and running mate.

Dogara and Lawal had at the meeting called on Northern Christians to vote against APC Muslim-Muslim ticket on the basis that Christians were being undermined by the ruling. Party.

The former Speaker said; “For me, it is a rude awakening and I am so happy it happened sooner than later. The very fact that they said we should not worry about a Muslim-Muslim ticket while a Muslim-Christian ticket gave them sleepless nights should make you worry the more.

“To worry about a Muslim-Christian ticket while counselling others not to worry about a Muslim-Muslim ticket is the very textbook definition of cognitive dissonance and an attempt at gaslighting gullible Christians. Truth must be told that anyone who is not bringing us together is consciously tearing us apart.”

Few hours after the meeting, the two APC stalwarts met with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state fueling rumour that they may soon dump the party for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.