Lalong, Oshiomhole tipped to lead Tinubu, Shettima’s campaign

Ahead of the official announcement of the Director-General for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, has been picked for the job, The Star has learnt.

It was gathered that Lalong was picked to douse tension against the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket and also pacify the Northern Christian community.

Credible sources equally disclosed to The Star that the former APC National Chairman and ex-governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, would also play a prominent role in the campaign council.

According to the sources, Oshiomhole is likely to emerge as the Deputy Director-General of the campaign council.

While some APC stalwarts had settled for Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State as the DG, sources revealed that the governor was eventually dropped for Lalong after the recent APC governors’ meeting with the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in Lagos.

A source privy to the meeting said: “Yes, Governor Lalong is the DG. The APC is united and we are committed to saving the country from those who want to divide us on religious lines.”

Governor El-Rufai, who briefed reporters after the meeting, said a decision had been taken on the DG, while other positions in the campaign council were still being discussed.

“A decision has been taken on the director general, but other positions in the campaign council are still being discussed. The president and the national chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) will be briefed before a formal announcement,” he had said.

He added that the governors were in Lagos to report on the assignment given to them by Tinubu and his running mate to begin broad consultation and develop a structure for the presidential campaign council.

“We came to report on an assignment given to us by our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate to begin the broad consultation and develop a structure for the presidential campaign council.

“We have done some work on it. We have briefed the candidate and his running mate and inputs have been taken and our hope is that in the shortest possible time the candidate will consult more with the party leadership and brief Mr President and get his input and then we formally unveil the presidential campaign council,” El-Rufai stated.

Other governors who attended the meeting were Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).

The APC National Secretary, Sen. Iyiola Omisore; Adams Oshiomohole, and Alhaji Kabiru Masari also attended the meeting.

The Star