2023 Presidency: Sources reveal ‘true’ reason Osinbajo refrained from APC campaign council

Nigerians on social media have reacted the recent announcement of the Presidential Campaign Council list of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

One of the notable absentees on the list is the vice president of the country, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Credible sources within the VP camp have clarified that the same faith ticket of the APC was the main reason why Osinbajo’s name was missing from the 422-man list. This has led many Nigerians to praise him for not supporting the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party.

It was reliably gathered that Tinubu’s camp had approached the VP to play a major role in the presidential campaign, particularly to woo the Christian community nationwide, but Osinbajo declined, stating that he could not support a Muslim-Muslim ticket based on good conscience.

A source said: “The Vice President was not sidelined. His position has always been clear on the matter, a Muslim-Muslim ticket goes against the values of fairness, justice, inclusion and national unity. It is morally wrong and does not represent balance in building a cohesive society despite tribe and religion."

Also, in a statement released on Saturday by Festus Keyamo, spokesperson of the Council, the APC camp said Osinbajo was left out of the lineup to allow him “concentrate on governance of the country and administration of government.”

The vice president, who is regarded by many as Nigeria’s most hard-working vice president in history, was recently in the US and the White House where he met with US VP Kamala Harris and championed Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan to the world at a global forum.

Following the APC’s 422-man list, reactions have continued to pour in from Nigerians from all walks of life, and on social media.

A legal Practitioner and former chieftain of the APC, Daniel Bwala, tweeted on his official Twitter handle on Saturday, supporting the VP’s stance against the adoption of the same faith ticket by the APC. Another Nigerian, Chris Owowa, said:

“The Muslim-Muslim ticket will hold no grounds! I already knew this from inception.”

It would be recalled that in July, a Presidency source had disclosed that Osinbajo had expressed serious objection to the adoption of a Muslim-Muslim ticket by the APC.

The source said the APC may have shot itself on the foot with this kind of ticket, and the tensions going on in the party and the country since the announcement was made is a bad thing.