Aisha Buhari reverses threat on not campaigning for Buhari, launches 700-member team

Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari has reversed her threat that she was unlikely going to campaign for the reelection President Muhammadu Buhari.

She had criticised Buhari in an October 2016 interview with the BBC, saying his administration was failing to live up to its mandate to the people that voted it into power and threatening to not campaign for his reelection.

Only recently, She also insisted that the president was still under the control of a self-seeking cabal.

But in what will be seen as a notable reversal, Mrs Buhari has constituted a campaign team for her husband’s reelection.

She is the chairperson of the Women and Youths Presidential Campaign team for the 2019 election.

The wife of the Vice-President, Dolapo Osinbajo, was also appointed as the co-chairperson of the campaign team.

This is contained in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday by Mrs Buhari’s spokesperson, Suleiman Haruna.

The statement said the campaign team would be inaugurated on January 3 by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa at 2 p.m.

The appointees are expected to campaign for the re-election of Messrs Buhari and Osinbajo in the February poll.

The list of the appointees also has the APC national woman leader, Salamatu Baiwa, as the national coordinator.

Other executive team leaders include Adejoke Adefulire as vice chairman (south), Mairo Al-Makura as cice chairman (north), and Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagu as deputy national coordinator (south).

According to the statement, Binta Muazu would serve as the deputy national coordinator (north), with Rashida Yahaya Bello as zonal coordinator for north central, Hadiza Mohammad Abubakar for north east, Zainab Atiku Bagudu for north west and Nkechi Rochas Okorocha for south east.

Florence Abiola Ajimobi would coordinate women and youth from the South West zone while Judith Chibuike Amaechi would coordinate the South South women and youth for the exercise.

The statement added that the senior special assistant to the president on administration, Hajo Sani, would serve as the administrative secretary of the team.

Other members of the campaign team include artists from Nollywood and Kannywood as well as technocrats, politicians, academicians and the business class.

Read also: Buhari’s camp jittery over Aisha’s 2019 outburst

Similarly, the statement announced an advisory council for the campaign team, comprising serving and ex-ministers, governors, legislators and security officers as well as top public officers.

Those that made the list include the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung; Comptroller General of Customs, retired Hameed Ali; Suleiman Abba; Jafaru Isa, Buba Marwa; Orji Ozor Kalu; Sullivan Chime, and Ali Modu Sheriff.

Others are Mohammed Mahmud; Pauline Tallen; Naajatu Mohammed; Pat Utomi; Nasiru Ladan; Tonye Princewill; Festus Keyamo; Muniz Banire; Muhammadu Dodo; Baba Jidda; Deborah Iliya; Suzanne Aderonke Folarin; Ayuba Ngbako; Terry Waya; Mahmud Shinkafi; and Ibrahim Dasuki-Nakande.

The statement further announced the appointment of a directorate of operations consisting of all APC Women Leaders at all levels; all APC Women/Female Heads of government agencies and parastatals; all APC female candidates; all APC Youth Leaders at all levels; and all elected officials of APC at all levels, among others.

The directorate of Contact and Mobilisation is to be led by Nasiru Ali Ahmed, while the directorate of Strategic Planning would be headed by Garba Abari, the director-general of National Orientation Agency (NOA), it said.

The statement said the directorate of Youth Mobilisation is to be led by Mohammed Jibirilla; with AbdulMumin Jibril as the director of a 71-member Media and Strategic Communication of the team, and Sony Marshal Harry as the director of special duties.

It added that the directorate of logistics for the campaign team would be led by Mohammed Jibril, while the directorate of Creativity and Entertainment has about 170 members comprising majorly Nollywood and Kannywood representatives.

According to the statement, volunteers of the team comprise representatives from all President Buhari’s Supporters, Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team members and APC Presidential Campaign Office.

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