No regret over exclusion from Tinubu campaign council – Shittu

A former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has said he has no regret over his exclusion from President Bola Tinubu’s 223-member presidential campaign council for the 2027 election, despite serving as the Director-General of the Asiwaju Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation during the 2023 election.

Shittu said his exclusion from the campaign council would not diminish the role he played in helping Tinubu secure victory in the 2023 presidential election, stressing that he had never regarded membership of a campaign council as an achievement.

The former minister, who is also a lawyer and founding member of the All Progressives Congress, spoke in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH.

His comments came after the APC unveiled its 223-member campaign council for Tinubu’s re-election bid, with the President and Vice President Kashim Shettima serving as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.

The APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, was named second vice chairman, while former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, was appointed Director-General.

Also on the list, which sources said was being reviewed, was Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma as secretary, with the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, and Hadiza Bala-Usman appointed deputy secretary and assistant secretary, respectively.

Other prominent members included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Shittu, however, said he was not disappointed by his exclusion from the list, insisting that he had already played his part by committing his time, resources and political network to Tinubu’s 2023 campaign.

“I have played my own part though, and I have no regret for being left out of the current APC Presidential Campaign Council.

“Besides, one cannot really call being part of the council an achievement. It is what the Almighty God prompted me to do that I have done,” he said.

Shittu said his commitment to Tinubu’s 2023 campaign had not been dependent on any promise of appointment or position in government.

He said, “I recalled Tinubu assuring me that I would equally play a vital role in his government. As the director general of the Asiwaju Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, I never really needed such a promise to actually campaign vigorously for him in the build-up to the 2023 election.

“I went on with my campaign and spared no resources to canvass votes for him, especially here in the North. At the end, we had 1,141 support groups in the organisation and toured 10 different states.

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“I was in Rivers, Adamawa, Borno, Kano, Niger and almost all the South Western states. It is only Osun that we didn’t touch.

“Again, I did advocacy in more than 50 radio and television stations. Already, people knew me because of my popularity in the media; hence, many quickly associated with me. Then we were meeting regularly in my office in Utako (area of Abuja).”

The former minister said despite his role in the campaign, he had not had a one-on-one meeting with Tinubu since the President assumed office in 2023.

“But do you know that from that time till now, as we speak, I have never had the privilege to meet President Tinubu one-on-one in the past three years? All I heard on the radio was my name being mentioned as the Pro-Chancellor of Dave Umahi University of Health Sciences.

“In truth, I had actually expected to get an active role where I could deploy my brain and experience. It didn’t happen,” he said.

Shittu said his exclusion from the current campaign structure was not a setback for him.

He said his major concern was the fate of some of those who worked with him during the 2023 campaign and whom he had recommended for government appointments.

“Perhaps, let me say my only regret was the abandonment of the campaign coordinators and foot soldiers who worked with me across the length and breadth of the country. Despite writing to the President thrice, none was given a job or appointment.

“That indeed put me into a difficult position, especially the thought of inviting them back for another campaign. They will certainly ask what gains or dividends they achieved from the previous one they did in 2023.

“I am even more saddened to discover that some of them who felt used had abandoned the APC. A very clear example is Prof Oserheimen Osunbor from Benin. He is now the national legal adviser of the African Democratic Congress,” Shittu said.

He also dismissed claims that he financed his 2023 campaign activities through bank loans.

“No, that is not true. I didn’t borrow any loan from the bank. It was from my personal funds and donations. I had a deputy DG back then named Usman; such a fantastic guy he is.

“He spent not more than N20m on this same campaign we are talking about and didn’t recoup a kobo from his investment. To date, nobody in the Presidency has remembered him for any position,” he added.