The camp of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Friday, disclosed that Ilorin, Kwara State capital in the North-Central region of the country had been chosen as the official point to launch their campaign.
This was confirmed by one of the party’s bigwigs (name withheld), who also attended Wednesday’s tripartite meeting with the Progressive Governors Forum, Presidential Campaign Council and members of the APC National Working Committee.
The source, one of Tinubu’s loyalists, told our correspondent that the presidential candidate and the stakeholders agreed on the North-Central in general and Ilorin specifically.
The closed-door meeting, which held for about three hours at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, witnessed a heavy flow of traffic and security presence.
In attendance were the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who led the NWC; Tinubu’s running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Atiku Bagudu; Deputy Director-General of the PCC, Adams Oshimhole; Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila among others.
Although the Spokesman for the Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, told journalists after the meeting that a ‘region’ had been selected to launch the campaign, he was unwilling divulge it.
He said, “We have agreed on the region to begin the campaign but I am not going to say that now. We have also addressed all the basic issues because we want to carry the leaders of the party along
“For now, no date has been chosen (for PCC inauguration). But we will announce that sooner than you think.”
Asked why the APC stakeholders and the candidate were yet to reach a decision on an appropriate date for both the campaign and PCC inauguration, the legal icon admitted that a definite date has not agreed.
According to him, political campaign has to involve a conscious and calculative strategy to ensure no stone is left unturned.
But the source, one of Tinubu’s loyalists, told our correspondent that the lot fell on Kwara State after careful permutation.
He said, “The candidate and the stakeholders deliberated consciously on the issue, considered all the odds before they finally agreed for the choice of North-Central in general and Ilorin specifically.
“It will be the starting point for our campaign before we spread into other areas. But the date has not been agreed,” he said.
When contacted on Friday to reconfirm if the campaign is truly launching from Ilorin, both Keyamo and the PCC Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, were hesitant about revealing details. They neither agreed to confirm nor debunk the report
Keyamo said, “We cannot confirm anything now. Though it is not a disclaimer, there is no official release on that.”
Onanuga’s position on the issue was also not different.
“Why don’t you wait? The party will announce it. I cannot confirm anything to you on this. You guys (media) should wait for us to unveil the manifesto and the PCC this week. That’s what we plan to do first,” he stated.
Tinubu has hit the ground running after he returned to the country from his brief vacation in London amid his rumoured ill-health on October 6.
Elated party chiefs and loyalists had waited anxiously at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday to receive him.
They were led by his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; and a former APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, among others.
In the last one week, the APC presidential candidate has been actively engaged in a series of consultations and midnight meetings with political associates.
He was also spotted having Jumat at the Central Mosque in Abuja from where he left with another delegation to examine his campaign office.
