News Thumb Magazine ..news reporting..
The Directorates of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation have absolved Hon. James Faleke of the blame of the exclusion of some All Progressives Congress, APC, members from the list that was released recently by the party.
This is as the campaign team has promised to address all the concerns raised by party stalwarts, assuring that every member of the party would be carried along and given roles to play as political campaigns begin in the coming weeks.
A statement jointly signed by Funmi Emmanuel and Othman Tosin, APC Grassroots for Asiwaju/Shetima Coordinator and Secretary, respectively, observed that the release of the campaign team list had attracted a lot of comments from the public.
The statement however assured that Governor Simon Lalong, the Director-General of the Campaign Council had showed leadership by applying the brakes to accommodate the clamour by genuine stakeholders.
The team regretted that some oppositions within and outside the party imposed the blame of their exclusion on Faleke in order to dismantle his political goodwill.
The group explained that Faleke’s commitment to Sen. Bola Tinubu’s ambition was not in doubt as the latter fought many battles to ensure his emergence as Deputy Governorship candidate for the late Abubakar Audu in the Kogi State guber race a few years ago.
The group reiterated that the House of Representatives member had no hand in the list released to the public by the campaign team.
The statement said: “For a man with a conscience, a rarity in our climes, Faleke’s unrivalled fierce commitment to devote his entire political capital to a leader that risked sectional and religious sentiments was unrivalled.
“He dug deep to build a bulwark of support groups by deploying his dogged determination, strategic grassroots ingenuity and personal funds to a course he was ready to lay his life for.
“Following the emergence of the Tinubu/Shetima ticket that required religious balancing from the Christian North, Faleke fitted the bill. The recommendation to provide a Christian and secretary from North Central fell on his laps.”
The group emphasised that despite his non-selection as a running mate to Tinubu, Faleke succumbed to pressure to sign a list of the leadership of Directorates for the campaign council.
The group also stated that Lalong as the Director-General of the campaign council had deployed all diplomatic efforts to calm frayed nerves, stressing that the group would remain focused despite the distractions employed by the opposition.
