The national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was absent at the launch of  campaigns for the 2019 general elections in Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the ruling party on Sunday.

President Buhari led other APC stakeholders, including governors, ministers, etc, to the event where the Minister of Power, Works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, rendered account of the performance of the departments under his supervision; thereafter, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, who is also the Director General of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organization, highlighted the achievements of the ministry.

Thereafter, President Buhari highlighted the achievements of the APC government in the past three and half years; made presentation of the documented achievements and subsequently, presented the campaign mantra, signifying The NEXT LEVEL 2019. The President further directed APC members to commence campaigns across the country.

There was no goodwill message from the national leader. However, Tinubu was said to have traveled overseas and was not in the country at the time of the campaign launch. More so, Tuinubu’s closest ally in the South West, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, was also absent at the opening campaign.

However, the South West had representations from the ministers, and other APC Governors who include Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Fayemi Kayode of Ekiti State and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.