Directorate of Tinubu/Shettima campaign organisation has absolved James Faleke of blame in the exclusion of some All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains from the list that was released recently by the party.
This is as the campaign team promised to address all the concerns raised by party stalwarts, assuring 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 had attracted a lot of comments from the public.
The campaign organisation, however, assured Governor Simon Lalong, 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 to dismantle his political goodwill.
The group explained that Faleke’s commitment to Bola Tinubu’s ambition was not in doubt as the latter fought many battles to ensure his emergence as deputy governorship candidate for Abubakar Audu in the Kogi State gubernatorial 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.
“For a man with conscience, a rarity in our climes, Faleke’s unrivalled fierce commitment to devote his entire political capital on 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 team said in the statement.
The group emphasised that despite his non-selection as a running mate to Tinubu, Faleke succumbed to pressure to sign a list of leadership of directorates for the campaign council.
It 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 focus despite the distractions employed by the opposition.