The All Progressives Congress has concluded arrangements to kick off its campaign and unveil the policy document of its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday.
A source close to the State House told our correspondent that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has been given the honour of launching the manifesto and inaugurating the Presidential Campaign Council at the presidential villa.
He said that the inauguration, which is expected to herald the official kick-off of the campaign, would be conducted after a short address by the president, who is also the chairman of the campaign council.
“Buhari, in his capacity as the chairman, will inaugurate the PCC and unveil the policy document of Tinubu. There are also strong indications that the choice of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, which was earlier chosen as the official venue for the campaign kick-off, will give way to a new one.
“For now, I can say all the grey areas causing disaffection among the APC National Working Committee and the governors have been taken care of in the newly harmonised campaign council list,” the source said.
The development comes hours after Tinubu disclosed on Tuesday that the majority of Buhari’s achievements are largely unappreciated by Nigerians.
The former Lagos State governor made the clarification in a goodwill message that he delivered at the ongoing three-day ministerial retreat for Ministers and Permanent Secretaries in Abuja.
A concerned Tinubu made a case for the president, saying Nigerians should understand that he inherited the baggage of a national problem ranging from insecurity to corruption from the previous government.
When contacted, the Director of Media and Publicity for the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council confirmed the report.
He, however, declined to comment further on the choice of venue and notable names in the newly-harmonised list of campaign council members, among others.
“Both the campaign council and the manifesto will be launched on Friday. But I don’t have details on the other questions you raised,” he stated.
Tinubu last Friday unveiled a 422-man committee comprising political heavyweights and other notable members to pilot the various sub-committees of the campaign council.