Endless Wait for APC Campaign List

The endless wait for the campaign list, as well as time-table and schedule of activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  continues as the party awaits President Muhammadu Buhari to pick a date for the flag-off of the 2023 election campaign. Adedayo Akinwale reports

While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commenced its campaign in Akwa Ibom  state and the Labour Party is also set to kick start its own, there is no end in sight as to when the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) plan to release details about its campaign activities or it’s campaign list.

The meeting between the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the governors of the party, members of the  party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as well as Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) held last week without  particular date chosen for the ruling party to flag-off its campaign.

The Spokesperson of PCC, Mr. Festus Keyamo, told journalists at the end of the meeting that the schedule of President Muhammadu Buhari, being the Chairman of the campaign council, was delaying the flag off of the campaign. He explained that Buhari’s schedule has to be put into consideration before a specific date would be fixed for the commencement of campaign.

He was quick to add that they have accommodated all the interest groups in the campaign list, which he said already laid every  disagreement generated by the 422-member list initial released to rest.

His words: “You know that the structure of our campaign involves Presidential diary. I have said that our campaign is not going to be like those that they can kick and start like small vehicles. It is maneuvering a 50-ton tanker on a highway and once we hit the highway, it will be in motion and movement.

“Since Mr President is the chairman of the Campaign Council, we are going to take his diary into consideration in picking and choosing the date. However, we have all virtually agreed to hit the street very soon. We have also agreed on the region we are going to kick-start but I won’t say that now. We have also agreed on all the basic issues. We just want to carry along the leader of the party, Mr President and hit the street”.

With the campaign list of the party still being awaited, Keyamo revealed that the presidential candidate of the party presented a draft manifesto to the party.

According to him: “What you have seen here is the meeting of different layers of the party. It was the meeting of the major stakeholders of the party. The Progressive Governors, the NWC, and the PCC with the presidential candidate. We are a very united party with all the organs of the party working in unison towards one purpose. All we did today during the meeting was to review the draft of our manifesto.

“Our candidate is not the type that operates on his own. He carries everybody along. He presented the draft of the manifesto to all the stakeholders that looked at it. And guess what, almost all the stakeholders gave that draft more than 90 per cent passmark. We can’t give you the content because we are not going to take it away from our candidate. He is going to present himself before Nigerians on a particular date and occasion. We have set up a small committee charged with the responsibility of reducing the manifesto documents to major highlights in message form we will sell to even the market women, street traders in the most simple language.

“We don’t want to present to Nigerians a very complicated document that they cannot understand in simple terms.”

THISDAY checks revealed that the ruling party has decided to flag-off its campaign in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital. However, no specific date has been fixed as the party awaits President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the chairman of the PCC to pick a date that is convenient for him.

A member of  the NWC who craved anonymity revealed that the choice of Ilorin was agreed on for the commencement of the five-month long presidential campaign period. He noted that the Presidential candidate will make public his manifesto as soon as President Buhari is briefed.

He said, “Just as the council spokesman, Festus Keyamo told the Press on Wednesday, we have agreed on the venue for our campaign kick off. The meeting agreed and approved Ilorin, the Kwara State capital as proposed by the Campaign Council.

“You will recall that our presidential candidate has unveiled his manifesto to the critical stakeholders of the party.  The document is ready, but in line with the party’s tradition, the party leadership and Asiwaju will only make the manifesto public after it must have been presented to President Buhari. Asiwaju will make a public presentation of the document before we commence the campaign.

“The PCC is working round the clock to get all organs of the party involved in the campaign. The final membership list of the council is billed to be released next week. The list is being fine-tuned to take care of all interests. We are coming out with a formidable council.

“You recalled that all organs of the party agreed to work together for Asiwaju and all our candidates at the election. What we are doing now is to get all organs to align with the campaign programmes as we hit the ground for the campaign.”

Moreso, another source close to the leadership of the Campaign Council said the list of the Campaign was endorsed at last Wednesday’s meeting and would be released soon.

He added that a five-man committee has been set up to review the manifesto submitted by the party’s candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

According to the source: “The list for the campaign was endorsed and will be released any moment. Manifesto to be adjusted with five committee members to remove and add few things and simplify it.”

As it stands, until the president picks a date, there will only be motion and no movement as far as the campaign activities of the ruling APC is concerned. The waiting game continues.