…Say Controversy Could Hurt Tinubu/Kashim Campaign
ABUJA — The Northern Youths Frontiers (NYF) has rejected the appointment of former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as North-East Zonal Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, describing the decision as an avoidable strategic and reputational liability.
The group urged the APC leadership to immediately reconsider Sheriff’s appointment, warning that the controversy surrounding the former governor could become an unnecessary distraction for the Tinubu/Kashim 2027 campaign.
The NYF, which said it had been mobilising youths across the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory for the Tinubu/Kashim 2027 project, insisted that the composition of the campaign council must reflect the confidence, expectations and sensitivities of the electorate.
In a statement issued on Monday by its North-West Zonal Coordinator, Saminu Tukur, the group said Sheriff’s appointment to such a prominent position could become a weakness for the campaign.
It said the APC should be focusing on communicating the achievements of the administration and building broad-based public confidence rather than dealing with controversies surrounding individual campaign officials.
The group acknowledged that Sheriff had denied allegations and controversies associated with aspects of his political career.
It also stressed that allegations should not be treated as convictions and that criminal responsibility remained a matter for competent courts and other legal institutions.
However, the NYF argued that political campaign considerations went beyond legal questions.
“A presidential campaign is not a courtroom,” the group said.
Tukur said appointments to prominent campaign positions carried political and reputational consequences, adding that such officials became part of the public face of the campaign.
According to him, campaign appointees were expected to command public confidence, effectively communicate the candidate’s message and help build broad-based support.
The NYF said the APC must determine whether Sheriff’s appointment brought enough strategic value to the Tinubu/Kashim campaign to outweigh the controversy surrounding him.
The group said political experience alone should not be considered sufficient reason to retain an appointment that had generated significant public concern.
It noted that the North-East and the wider Northern region had suffered enormous human, social and economic consequences from the insurgency.
“Communities have lost loved ones, homes, farms, businesses, schools and years of economic opportunity.
“For millions of young Northerners, the consequences of the crisis are not distant political history; they remain part of the social and economic reality of their generation,” the group said.
The NYF said political mobilisation in the North required particular sensitivity to public perception and historical experiences.
It noted that public discussions about Sheriff had referenced the Galtimari Committee, political developments in Borno State before the escalation of the insurgency, allegations made by individuals concerning the insurgency and reported investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The group, however, stressed that the issues must be handled responsibly, with a clear distinction between documented findings, allegations, denials and matters that had not been judicially established.
“But the existence of continuing controversy is itself a legitimate political consideration when determining who should occupy a highly visible campaign position,” it said.
The group added that the APC was preparing for a presidential election in which campaign credibility, message discipline and grassroots mobilisation would be critical.
It said the party would need to communicate its record on security, employment, infrastructure, education, economic opportunities and the welfare of young Nigerians.
The NYF said campaign officials should help project that message rather than become the subject of recurring controversies capable of diverting attention from the candidate.
“In the organisation’s assessment, the controversy surrounding Senator Sheriff’s appointment represents an avoidable campaign vulnerability.
“There is no shortage of experienced political actors across the North who can undertake campaign responsibilities while commanding public confidence and minimising unnecessary reputational distractions,” the group said.
The NYF consequently called on the APC leadership to remove Sheriff from the 2027 Presidential Campaign Council and reconsider the North-East zonal coordinator position.
It said such a move would enable the party to refocus on its campaign message and strengthen confidence among grassroots supporters.
The group also urged the APC to apply rigorous standards of credibility, public confidence, political experience and reputational assessment to all senior campaign appointments.
The NYF said the voices of Northern youths, who constituted a significant segment of the electorate and grassroots mobilisation structure, should not be treated as peripheral in decisions affecting the campaign.
It maintained that its support for the Tinubu/Kashim 2027 project did not prevent it from drawing attention to decisions it believed could weaken the campaign.
“The APC should choose campaign assets that expand its coalition, strengthen its message and inspire confidence among voters,” the group said.
“The party’s objective should be to present a campaign defined by its candidate, its record and its vision for Nigeria — not by avoidable controversies surrounding individual campaign officials.”
