Buhari Leaves Governance To Osinbajo;  President Faces APC Presidential Campaign Council; Nigerians Say It Is Strange

By Ayodele Oni

It has not been officially communicated to Nigerians by the Presidency. It is an All Progressives Congress, APC, internal arrangement.

But the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has left the Governance of Nigeria to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. President Buhari said  he wants to concentrate on the Presidential Campaign Council of the Party, which Chairman he is. Not to be distracted by the burden of Governance and Administration, the President said he has left those in the hands of Osinbajo and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

This surprising and strange arrangement was disclosed by the Tinubu/Shetima Campaign Organization while explaining the non-inclusion of  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s name in the list of Presidential Campaign Council members.

Chief Spokesman of the Council, Festus Keyamo, in a statement Saturday stated:  “Our attention has been drawn to some stories making the rounds that there may be something amiss within the family of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the name of our own revered and respected Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, is not included in the list of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

“Nothing can be farther from the facts. For the avoidance of doubt, President Muhammadu Buhari , GCFR, is the Chairman of the Campaign Council.

“As a result, Mr. President has SPECIFICALLY directed that the Vice-President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, should be left out of the Campaign Council to concentrate on the governance of the country and administration of Government.

“As a responsible Party and Government, all the key functionaries of Government cannot abandon their positions for electioneering campaigns.

“The APC has the mandate of the Nigerian people to administer the country on their behalf at least till May, 29, 2023, and this we intend to do with all sense of responsibility.

“Our candidates and the leadership of the APC have also indicated that the list is not sacrosanct as there may be periodic review of it as circumstances dictate.

“We will not toe the path of those who governed the country in an irresponsible manner before us and our Party is not in total disarray like those who wish to ‘rescue’ the country, but cannot simply manage their own internal affairs.”

However, not a few Nigerians describe the arrangement as strange, weird and insensitive. They see it as an abandonment of his job, over Political Party  affairs, by President Buhari, especially, at a time the Country is going through unprecedented economic woes and insecurity.