The All Progressives Congress (APC) stated that no campaign council lists have been issued for the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states.
These off-cycle elections are scheduled for November 11.
APC’s Organising Secretary, Muhammad Argungu, clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, had approved the formation of the campaign councils in consultation with the National Working Committee (NWC).
The earlier published lists, which have since been disowned, indicated that Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun was to lead the APC’s campaign council for the Kogi governorship.
Inuwa Yahaya, the Gombe Governor, was named to head the party’s campaign council in Bayelsa, while Bassey Otu, the Cross River Governor, was assigned the responsibility for Imo.
The Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo campaign councils consisted of 135, 123, and 138 members respectively.
Members of the Kogi campaign council included Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mohammed Bago, and Uba Sani.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, were named as members of the Bayelsa campaign council.
For the Imo campaign council, Francis Nwifuru, the Governor of Ebonyi, Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Rochas Okorocha, a former Senator, were also included.
The party removed Wike’s name
However, a few hours after the list was initially released, the ruling party clarified that campaign councils had not yet been established for these elections.
“The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to National Campaign Council Lists for the 11th November, 2023 Governorship Elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo States in circulation in sections of the media,” Felix Morka, the party’s spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday evening.
“The lists are not official documents of the Party and should be disregarded.”
Prior to the APC’s withdrawal of the lists, Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), was listed as a member of the Bayelsa campaign council.
The party removed his name from a revised list and then withdrew everything.