The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation over the weekend moved to assuage concerns expressed over the noticeable absence of some of its governors from the party’s presidential campaign rallies.
Our correspondents learnt that the party has been receiving complaints from prominent members of the party who have said that unlike the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which governors flock to rallies in support of the party’s presidential candidate, many of the APC governors have been holding back their presence from such meets.
A source in the APC said since the commencement of campaigns, some of the governors have not bothered to show up at the presidential campaign rallies of the party once it is outside their states.
A source in the APC said the organisation is bothered mainly by the attitude of governors from the northern part of the country.
But the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation has dismissed the concerns saying the absence of some of the governors at various presidential rallies in their region is not indicative of protest but is largely coincidental.
Speaking to Daily Trust on telephone yesterday, the head of media and publicity of the campaign, Garba Shehu said the absence of the governors at the rallies has nothing to do with any rift between them and the party’s presidential campaign organ.
He said that all the APC governors are committed to the success of the party at all levels at the polls and that they are working towards that.
He noted that although some of them are also contesting for second term or the Senate seat, it does not affect their commitment and support for the party’s presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.
Citing the example of Zamfara State governor’s absence, he said at the time of the rally, the governor had travelled to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj.
“You know that the form of our campaign has now changed. They are mostly town hall meetings now. Our next rally will be in the South West and then Bauchi for the North East, and the South East,” he said.
Garba said the absence of an APC governor at the presidential rally does not mean that there is any problem between him and the presidential campaign organisation.
The source said apart from Governor Rotimi Amaechi who is the director general of the campaign organisation and a few other governors who have been up and doing in terms of the campaigns, most of the governors have either relaxed on that turf or are concentrating only on their campaigns.
Eight of the APC governors are seeking second term while two, that of Kano and Sokoto, are running for the senate; two, that of Edo and Osun are still serving their second terms, while two others, that of Lagos and Rivers, are not contesting any elective position.
