…Says ex-Borno governor has capacity to deliver North-East for Tinubu
The Grassroots Coalition for Change (GCC) has thrown its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment of former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as the North-East Zonal Campaign Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
The group described the appointment as strategic, insisting that Sheriff’s political experience, grassroots network and understanding of the North-East make him suitable for the assignment.
Sheriff’s inclusion in the APC campaign council has, however, generated controversy, with some individuals and groups questioning his appointment over longstanding allegations linking him to the Boko Haram insurgency.
The GCC, in a statement issued yesterday by its National Coordinator, Bello Y. Johnson, dismissed the renewed attacks against the former governor as politically motivated and aimed at weakening his ability to mobilise support for President Tinubu in the North-East.
The coalition questioned the timing of the allegations, arguing that they resurfaced shortly after Sheriff was given responsibility for coordinating the ruling party’s campaign in the region.
It also questioned why the allegations, which it said had remained unsubstantiated for years, were now being revived to challenge Sheriff’s political role.
According to the group, the former governor had occupied several prominent political positions despite the allegations, including serving as governor of Borno State and national chairman of major political parties.
The GCC further alleged that an individual behind the renewed campaign against Sheriff was from Katsina State and outside the North-East geopolitical zone, arguing that political interests outside the region should not determine who coordinates political mobilisation in the six states of the zone.
‘Sheriff not Boko Haram founder’
The coalition strongly rejected attempts to personally link Sheriff to the Boko Haram insurgency.
“Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is not the originator of Boko Haram. That allegation has never been established. Nobody can simply pin the Boko Haram issue on Senator Sheriff and use an unsubstantiated allegation to destabilise him or undermine the responsibility he has been given,” it said.
The group maintained that the former governor should be allowed to concentrate on his assignment of mobilising support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“Sheriff is focused on one thing: delivering the North-East for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. He is a politician of repute, and he understands the political terrain of the region,” the coalition said.
The GCC described Sheriff as a veteran politician whose career spans several decades and includes his tenure as governor of Borno State, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as National Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
It said the experience had equipped him with knowledge of party administration, electoral politics, grassroots mobilisation and stakeholder engagement.
The coalition noted that the North-East campaign coordinator would be required to engage political leaders, traditional institutions, elected officials, youth and women organisations, community leaders and other stakeholders across the region.
It therefore argued that Sheriff’s experience across different political parties and generations would be an advantage in coordinating the APC’s campaign structure.
‘Appointment strategic’
The GCC described Tinubu’s decision to appoint Sheriff as a strategic move to strengthen the APC’s grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 election.
It rejected suggestions that the appointment was merely a political reward, saying effective campaign coordination required political experience, organisational capacity and a strong understanding of local realities.
The group urged APC members and supporters across the North-East to rally behind the campaign structure and give Sheriff the necessary cooperation to execute his mandate.
It also appealed to party stakeholders not to allow the controversy surrounding the appointment to create division within the party.
The coalition said the focus should be on taking the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration to voters across the region.
It urged Sheriff’s supporters to avoid responding to political attacks with counter-attacks, saying successful grassroots mobilisation would provide the strongest response to the controversy.
According to the GCC, the 2027 election should be about competing visions for Nigeria’s future and allowing voters to freely make their choice, rather than relying on personal attacks and unsubstantiated allegations.
Reaffirming its confidence in Tinubu’s decision, the coalition said Sheriff possessed the political network, organisational experience and knowledge of the North-East required to lead the APC’s mobilisation efforts.
“We are confident that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff will rise to the occasion. He is focused on delivering the North-East for President Tinubu, and nobody can distract him with allegations that have never been established,” the group said.
The GCC again commended President Tinubu for the appointment and urged APC stakeholders across the North-East to support Sheriff as preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum.
