Outrage in Borno as APC Omits Shettima’s Photo at North-East Public Hearing

There was uproar in Maiduguri on Monday after the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed to include the photograph of Vice-President Kashim Shettima on a banner displayed at the North-East Zonal Public Hearing on proposed amendments to the party’s constitution.

The omission sparked anger among party stakeholders and delegates, with the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, openly condemning what he described as a disrespectful slight against the Vice-President.

The banner showcased images of President Bola Tinubu, the five APC governors from the North-East and the party’s National Legal Adviser, but noticeably left out Shettima, Nigeria’s number two citizen and a leading APC figure from the region.

Party insiders noted that this was not the first time Shettima’s image had been excluded at an APC function, recalling a similar incident in Gombe State last year that reportedly led to a fracas and the abrupt end of the meeting.

Reacting during the event, Lawan, Nigeria’s longest-serving Speaker, expressed disbelief over the omission and warned that such actions could create unnecessary tension within the party.

“Why would the Vice-President’s picture not be included in the banner? This was what created the fracas in Gombe, and it is repeating itself here in Borno. I do not know the motive of the organisers, but it is not right,” he said.

He added, “How can the organisers exclude the picture of a sitting Vice-President, who is from Borno and the North-East zone?”

Lawan’s remarks drew loud applause from the audience, underscoring widespread disapproval of the omission among APC members at the event.

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