Borno Speaker Protests Absence Of VP Shettima’s Photo At APC Zonal Meeting

The speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon Abdulkarim Lawan, has expressed reservations over the absence of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s photo on a banner which has the photos of President Tinubu, APC governors and other stakeholders of the party in the North-East zone.

The APC was holding its governors and stakeholders constitutional amendment committee and public hearing at the Borno State Hotel, Maiduguri.

The banner that formed the background for the meeting however had pictures of President Tinubu, the national chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda.

Other party leaders whose pictures were on the banner are Governor Babagana Zulum (Borno); Governor Mai Mala Buni (Yobe); Governor Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe); Governor Kefas Agbu (Taraba), and the national legal adviser of APC, Barr Murtala Aliyu Kankia.

Although none of the governors were present at the gathering, the Borno speaker recalled that the seeming relegation of the vice president at the party’s meeting last year  led to an uproar.

Last year, the endorsement of only Tinubu at an APC stakeholders meeting in Gombe was disrupted because Shettima’s name was not included in the endorsement.

Before then, eyebrows had been raised over the exclusion of Shettima’s name during endorsements of Tinubu for second term by various APC chapters and party organs, raising fears about a likely replacement of the vice president over concerns of a continued muslim-muslim ticket for the 2027 election.

“This is what triggered the protests at the party’s zonal meeting in Gombe last year,” Abdulkarim Lawan, Borno State House of Assembly Speaker, said yesterday.

He continued, “The Vice President is a party leader and most-revered son of the zone; yet his photo is absent on the banner showing the president and important personalities  of the party.”

The speaker’s observation was approved by members of the crowd at the event with applause.

Both the APC deputy national chairman (North), Hon. Ali Dalori, who is also from Borno and the party’s national vice chairman (North East), Dr Mustapha Salihu, did answer calls or replied messages to their mobile phones on the development as at press time.

Also, the APC national publicity secretary, Felix Morka, told LEADERSHIP on phone that he was yet to get details of the incident hence he could not comment at the moment.

Reacting to Shettima’s missing photo, APC chieftains in the state, Dr Babakura Bukar, and Alhaji Ahmed Ashemi, told LEADERSHIP that the action is not an oversight, but a deliberate attempt to undermine the person of the vice president.

In a related development, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Parliament has warned that the rumour about President Tinubu replacing Shettima as his running mate ahead of the 2027 presidential election would destabilise the ruling party.

The APC youth group  described the move as dangerous, divisive, and capable of weakening the ruling party.

The group said it had observed with concern the growing circulation of reports in sections of the media alleging that Tinubu is considering dropping Shettima in favour of a Northern Christian candidate, allegedly to address criticisms of the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted during the 2023 elections.

Speaking to journalists in Bauchi yesterday, chairman of the APC Youth Parliament, Kabiru Garba Kobi, dismissed the rumours as a deliberate attempt to sow discord within the APC and undermine both Tinubu and Shettima.

According to Kobi, those behind the speculation are pursuing personal and external political interests rather than the unity and stability of the party.

A report had emerged on a national daily, not LEADERSHIP, about the likelihood of Tinubu replacing Shettima with a Christian politician. The report listed former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara; Defence Minister Lt-Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah.

Speaking about the fresh report about Shettima’s fate ahead of 2027, Kobi said, “Any attempt to replace Senator Kashim Shettima will be a grave political error that could cost President Tinubu massive support in the North, particularly the North-East.”

He noted that despite renewed political discussions suggesting that President Tinubu is assessing names such as former Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Defence Minister Lt-Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, such speculations remain distractions driven by political opportunists.

Kobi acknowledged that the 1999 Constitution gives the President the freedom to choose a running mate from any part of the country, but insisted that political wisdom, loyalty, and electoral realities must guide such decisions.

“Everything required of a deputy, loyalty, dedication, courage, political experience, and grassroots support, Senator Kashim Shettima has demonstrated beyond doubt,” he said.