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The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has halted the distribution of fez caps and branded materials promoting the candidacy of President Muhammadu Buhari for the 2019 election.
He gave the notice, yesterday, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
But the Minister of Communication and staunch Buhari loyalist, Adebayo Shittu, appeared at the meeting in a fez cap with the inscription: ‘Continuity ‘19 – Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo’.
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The Guardian learnt that Adebayo, who is the South West campaign coordinator for Buhari’s undeclared bid, is the brain behind the caps, which arrived in a ‘Ghana-must-go’ bag, ready for distribution to FEC members.
Shittu is said to be nursing an ambition to contest the Oyo State governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.
At the end of the meeting, however, some of the members filed out of the Council Chambers with the caps carefully stowed away in their bags, apparently to avoid the prying eyes of reporters or possible backlash by a section of Nigerians.
The SGF had ordered that the materials must not be distributed, saying it was not yet time for campaign.
It was learnt that some of the caps already distributed were retrieved before the end of the meeting.
Shittu later explained to reporters: “The cap is for politics. It is not for the Federal Executive Council deliberations. The caps have been distributed to all members of FEC. It is a sample for any other person who is interested in doing what we have done. I know everybody will be involved. Everybody will be guided. People will take decision to support General Buhari in the 2019 elections.”
