There was outrage in Maiduguri on Monday after the All Progressives Congress (APC) omitted the photograph of Vice-President Kashim Shettima from a banner displayed at the party’s North-East Zonal Public Hearing on the amendment of its constitution.
The omission angered party stakeholders and delegates at the event, prompting the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, to publicly protest what he described as a disrespectful act against the Vice-President.
The banner showcased photographs of President Bola Tinubu, the five APC governors from the North-East zone and the party’s National Legal Adviser, but excluded Shettima, who is Nigeria’s Vice-President and a leading APC figure from the region.
Observers recalled a similar incident in Gombe State last year, where the exclusion of Shettima’s image at an APC event reportedly led to a fracas that forced the meeting to end abruptly.
Addressing participants at the hearing, Lawan expressed shock over the omission, warning that such actions could create unnecessary tension within the party.
“Why would the picture of the Vice-President be excluded? This same issue caused a fracas in Gombe and it is happening again in Borno. I do not know the motive of the organisers, but it is not right,” he said.
He further questioned how the image of a sitting Vice-President from Borno and the North-East could be left out of an official party banner.
Lawan’s remarks drew loud applause from attendees, reflecting widespread displeasure among party members over the incident.
