Why Tinubu pulled back campaign council list

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been compelled to review the composition of the APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council due to anomalies that could embarrass the campaign, Daily Trust can report. The list, made public on Saturday, stirred reactions from both within and outside the party, with many highlighting what they perceive as unnecessary omissions and questionable inclusions.

The review of the list comes after concerns were raised about the inclusion of individuals with corruption charges against them, the exclusion of those whose experiences would add value to the campaign, and errors in the list due to human oversight.

The Presidency emphasized that the leadership of the council would remain intact, while only the membership composition would be adjusted. The review process is being carried out in the Presidential Villa, and the date for the inauguration of the council has not been announced. The decision to fine-tune the council list aims to address the three major defects identified in the current list, including the inclusion of individuals with alleged corruption cases, those who should have been included due to their experience but were left out, and those omitted through mere oversight.

Sources in the APC informed Daily Trust that the Presidency quickly acted to modify the list due to the presence of anomalies that could send the wrong signals about the campaign council's composition. Issues raised regarding the council's composition include the inclusion of people who should not be there due to corruption charges, the exclusion of those with valuable experiences, and errors resulting from human oversight.

Notable individuals omitted or included in the review include Betta Edu and Ngozi Olejeme, who have faced allegations of financial impropriety, and the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacheus Adedeji, who will serve as the deputy director of fundraising for the council.