The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PPC) has provided some explanation as to why Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, a senior member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is endorsing Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
Nnamani’s identification with his principal, according to the campaign’s director of media and publicity, Bayo Onanuga, was not an error.
He asserted that the senator had a basic human right to support Tinubu.
The campaign council noted: “He is on the list in his own right as a supporter of our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Distinguished Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, who is still away in the United States, is a very close friend of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“He may not be on the field with us as a PDP senatorial candidate in Enugu East, but his presence is indicative that he may have chosen to give ‘moral support’ to his old-time friend and brother.
“In any case, the PCC cannot dictate the extent of Senator Nnamani’s support for his friend and brother. That is part of his fundamental human right, which supersedes any provision in a party constitution. His position and allegiance to his party are self-defining and do not need any qualifying by us.
“Any explanation as to his status should be coming from the other party and not from us, who are very proud to be associated with him.”
The council made it clear that the list of members that was made public over the weekend was incomplete and that only the directors, deputy directors, secretaries of directorates, and important stakeholders are included.
It gave governors reassurance that the secretariat had not discarded the names they had supplied.
“Some of the nominees of our governors have emerged as part of the leadership, while others will soon emerge as members of the various directorates. No name is left out of the lists,” said PCC secretary, James Faleke.
Onanuga, the campaign’s spokesman, gave directives to all 422 party leaders nominated to serve in various directorates to report to the council’s Abuja headquarters at 8:00am tomorrow in order to do this.
He encouraged the nominees to take part in the prayer service that would officially kick off the 2023 presidential campaign.
