Some Northern Christian members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who openly opposed the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the party have been excluded from its presidential campaign council.
A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the senator representing Adamawa North, Elisha Abbo, were not on the list of party members that would organise the campaign of its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for the 2023 election.
The list was released Friday night by the council’s secretary, James Faleke, a federal lawmaker.
The council, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, comprises 422 members who will serve in different categories.
It will be inaugurated on Monday in Abuja.
Messrs Lawal, Dogara and Abbo had backed Mr Tinubu in the early period of his presidential bid but parted ways with him after he opted for Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from the North-east and former Borno State governor, as his running mate.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) also opposed the same faith ticket.
Earlier in the week, Mr Dogara, during a Christian summit, condemned Mr Tinubu for picking a Muslim as a running mate, stating that Christians must reject the ticket by ensuring its defeat.
Equally, on Thursday, Mr Lawal also spoke against the ticket during an interview on Arise TV, he stated that there is an ongoing coalition to defeat Mr Tinubu and ensure no one dares field a same faith ticket again.
Aregbesola in
Surprisingly, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola made the list.
Mr Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State and known political ally of Mr Tinubu, recently had a frosty relationship with the APC presidential candidate over the last Osun State governorship election.
The minister had opposed the second-term ambition of his successor, Gboyega Oyetola, a relation of Mr Tinubu.
In the course of the tussle, Mr Aregbesola had in a viral video made some unsavoury remarks against Mr Tinubu, whom he served under as works commissioner from 1999 to 2007 when he (Tinubu) was Lagos governor.
He had accused Mr Tinubu of not trying to solve the former’s feud with Mr Oyetola.
“We exalted him (Tinubu) beyond his status and he turned himself to a god over us and we had sworn to ridicule anyone who compared himself to God,” Mr Aregbesola had said during a meeting of the faction of APC he leads.
Some loyalists of Mr Aregbesola reportedly defected to other parties and were believed to have worked against the APC during the governorship election.
Mr Oyetola was defeated by the PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke, in the election
It is unclear if Messrs Tinubu and Aregbesola have resolved their differences.
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