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The presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party
(ANPP), Ibrahim Shekarau will finally flag off his presidential campaign in
Abuja on Thursday February 24.

A source in the party told NEXT yesterday that the party
leadership agreed to the date after a meeting with Mr Shekarau, who is also the
governor of Kano State.

The party also resolved to start its state campaign tour in
Ebonyi State after the Abuja rally. The commencement of the presidential
campaign has been a source of concern for the party leadership following the
inability of Mr Shekarau to nominate those to be part of the party’s campaign
organisation.

At the meeting of the national working committee of the party
last Wednesday, Mr Shekarau was as he was said to be preparing for his
daughter’s wedding.

Some top party members have expressed concern that it was yet to
kick off the campaign even though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which it
seeks to replace during the polls had concluded its zonal campaign and is now
touring the 36 states.

A member of the NWC was mandated by the national chairman of the
party, to raise a memo on the issue and send to the committee for
consideration.

It was learnt that Ogbonnaya Onu, the national chairman of the
party will present Mr Shekarau and his running mate, John Odigie-Oyegun at the
flagging off ceremony to be attended by party members from all the states and
the federal capital territory.

Looking to the South West

Spokesman of the ANPP, Emma Eneukwu could not be reached for
comment. However, Mr Odigie-Oyegun confirmed the commencement of the
presidential campaign in a telephone interview with NEXT yesterday.

Mr Odigie-Oyegun, a former Edo State governor did not disclose
who will lead the party’s presidential campaign committee, neither did he name
those in the committee.

A source had said last week that the director general of the
campaign organisation may be picked from the South west geo-political zone of
the country since Mr Onu is from the South East and Mr Odigie-Oyegun, from the
South-South geo-political zones.

It was gathered that Bolaji Khaleel from Kwara State who headed the Mr
Shekarau’s Campaign Orgnisation ahead of the primaries, will be replaced since
he is now the ANPP gubernatorial candidate in Kwara State.