VP YEMI OSINBAJO, DOGARA DROP OUT, AND AMAECHI JOINS TINUBU'S CAMPAIGN TEAM

Following weeks of speculation and postponements, the presidential campaign council list of the ruling All Progressives Congress's flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, was released, with several notable names of party chieftains missing.

The names on the 422-man list include APC governors, ministers, lawmakers, ambassadors, and current and former public office holders.

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, retained his position as Director-General in the latest list released by the Presidential Campaign Council Secretary, James Faleke, in Abuja on Friday night, as did Deputy Director-General (Operations), Adams Oshiomhole, and Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga.

There is, however, a shocking omission of party stalwarts, many of whom have been at odds or engaged in a cold war with Tinubu over his preference for the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket.

They include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Speaker of the House of Delegates Yakubu Dogara, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, former Minister of State for Education Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, and Adebayo Shittu, who heads one of Tinubu's most ardent supporters, the Asiwaju Tinubu-Shettima Coalition for Good Governance.

While Osinbajo's camp had distanced itself from the former Lagos governor following his election as the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu's choice of ex-Borno Governor Senator Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as running mate had remained a thorn in his flesh.

On Tuesday, Dogara predicted that the adoption of a Muslim-Muslim ticket would be a fruitless political effort "doomed to end in spectacular failure."

The former speaker made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the Nigeria National Christian Coalition's "Meet The Church" summit.

Lawal, on the other hand, vowed that the APC's introduction of a same-faith ticket was a deliberate plan to further divide the north.