The Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, has protested the omission of Vice-President Kashim Shettima from a banner displayed at a recent All Progressives Congress (APC) event in the North-East.
The banner, which showcased party leaders from the region, reportedly carried the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu but conspicuously left out that of Shettima, a former governor of Borno State and the APC’s highest-ranking political figure from the zone. The development sparked anger among party faithful from Borno and other North-East states, who viewed the omission as a slight on the office of the Vice-President and the region he represents.
Speaking on the issue, Lawan described the exclusion as “unacceptable, provocative and politically insensitive,” stressing that Shettima is not only a principal officer of the Federal Government but also a critical pillar of the APC in the North-East. He warned that such actions could fuel discontent within the party and undermine unity ahead of future political contests.
According to party sources, the incident occurred during an APC stakeholders’ gathering in Gombe, where party leaders met to deliberate on regional and national issues. Although organisers have not formally explained the omission, some APC insiders attributed it to “oversight,” a claim many delegates dismissed as untenable.
The protest has revived memories of similar controversies at previous APC North-East meetings where endorsements or party materials appeared to sideline Shettima, triggering open protests by delegates and emergency interventions by party leaders to restore calm.
Political observers say the banner controversy goes beyond symbolism, reflecting deeper anxieties within the ruling party over internal balance of power, regional relevance, and succession calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections. For many APC stakeholders in the North-East, the continued marginalisation—real or perceived—of the Vice-President is seen as a red flag that could weaken party cohesion in a region considered strategic to APC’s electoral fortunes.
As of the time of filing this report, the APC leadership had yet to issue an official statement addressing the protest or clarifying whether the omission of Shettima’s image was deliberate or accidental.
Abuja Network News
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