Simon Lalong, the director-general of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential campaign council, has reportedly threatened to pull out of the campaign council.
There are speculations that the decision of the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Tinubu to appoint the lawmaker representing Ikeja constituency in the House of Representatives, James Falake, made the Governor of Plateau State, Lalong threaten to pull out.
The appointment of Faleke as the Secretary of the campaign council has caused uproar in the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
A source that spoke with This Day claimed that the position of secretary of the council was reserved for the North Central.
The source disclosed that the post was reserved for the region to pacify the minority north, but because Lalong is from Plateau State, it was agreed that the secretary should be taken to Benue State, a critical state in the middle belt.
In the quest to end the controversy around the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party, stakeholders believed that picking a Christian from Benue State would help quell the opposition against the same faith ticket.
It was gathered that a Governor from the North Central reach out to a former governor of Benue State, George Akume to send in two names and their Curriculum Vitae, for Tinubu’s consideration for the position of Secretary.
There are claims that Tinubu allegedly rejected the two names from Benue, only to pick Faleke claiming that he is from Kogi State which is part of North Central.
Faleke a man representing Lagos State in the House of Representatives was selected without seeking the consent of other stakeholders.
The decision of Tinubu, Naija News learnt that it got Lalong angry and he threatened to quit as DG.
A further report had it that some people in the party, including a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State and other stakeholders, pleaded with him not to take the step, noting that it will throw the party into crisis by making such a move at this time.
Tinubu has been accused of appointing some people as directors or assistant directors without consulting other stakeholders.
With President Muhammadu Buhari not reacting to Tinubu’s actions, there are claims that other stakeholders have decided to allow Tinubu to make his decision since their suggestions are not accepted.
There are reports that Faleke had been taking steps at the secretariat without communicating with governors and also declining their calls.
