By Akinwale Kasali
In the Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, disbelief and shock greeted the appearance of the name of one its pillars and chieftains, Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu, on the list of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council.
Ozichukwu was number 88 on the 422-member list. At various times, a National officer and respected name in the PDP, Ozichukwu has not yet resigned from the PDP when his name appeared as a member of the APC Campaign Council.
The Party, since Friday when the list was made public, is wondering exactly what steps to take, and waiting to hear from Nze Ozichukwu.
Messing, however, are some prominent members of the Party. They include Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and former Minister of State, Education, Emeka Nwajiuba.
The 422-man list has names of political heavyweights including APC governors, ministers, lawmakers, ambassadors as well as serving and past public office holders.
On the list released by the Presidential Campaign Council Secretary, James Faleke, in Abuja, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, retained his position as Director-General just as Deputy Director-General (Operations), Adams Oshiomhole, and Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga.
Some of the notable names missing from the Campaign list are those who have reservations over the APC, same-faith ticket.
That Babachir Lawal and Dogara were omitted from the list was not surprising to political observers following their vehement rejection of, and stiff opposition to the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the Party. But no one has explained why the name of a former Minister for Communications, Adebayo Shittu, who heads one of the Presidential candidate’s biggest support groups — Asiwaju Tinubu-Shettima Coalition for Good Governance – was, also, missing.
Vice President Osinbajo’s Camp distanced itself from the former Lagos Governor since after the Presidential Primary.
On Tuesday, Dogara had predicted that the adoption of a Muslim-Muslim ticket was a fruitless political effort that was “doomed to end in spectacular failure.”
The ex-Speaker made the statement while delivering his keynote address at a summit tagged ‘Meet The 7Church,’ organised by the Nigeria National Christian Coalition.
Lawal, on the other hand, vowed that the introduction of a same-faith ticket by the APC was a deliberate plan to further create divisions in the North.
It would be recalled that the former SGF, who spoke during an interview on Arise Television, declared that he was working with about 40 Christian leaders in the north to ensure that the contentious APC ticket failed.
Despite defending his principal stoutly on all fronts including live political television programmes, Shittu’s sin remained largely unknown.
It was however surprising that former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, were included in the list.
While Amaechi had subtly accused Tinubu of financially inducing delegates for votes at the last Convention, Aregbesola fell out badly with Tinubu during the Osun State Governorship Primary. It is believed that he worked against incumbent Governor, fellow party member, and a nephew of Tinubu, Gboyega Oyetola. PDP’s Senator Ademola Adeleke comfortably won the election.
