The North-East Unity Forum for Asiwaju (NUFA), a group supporting President Bola Tinubu, has urged the President and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reconsider Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s appointment as the North-East Zonal Coordinator of the party’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council.
The group said its position was based on concerns about public perception and the potential political implications of controversies associated with the former Borno State governor.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Hon. Yusuf Umar, NUFA argued that political mobilisation in the North-East required leaders capable of commanding broad public confidence, particularly given the region’s history of security, humanitarian and economic challenges.
The group acknowledged that Sheriff has consistently denied allegations linking him to any violent non-state actors, and stressed that allegations should not be regarded as convictions.
However, NUFA said it was concerned that the controversy surrounding the former governor could become a political distraction for the APC and affect the party’s efforts to mobilise support in the region.
The group said, “The appointment of Senator Sheriff is unacceptable. It is a provocation. And unless this appointment is reversed, the North-East Unity Forum for Asiwaju will withdraw its support, suspend its mobilisation machinery, and formally review every commitment it has made to the re-election project of President Tinubu.”
NUFA also referred to historical issues surrounding Sheriff’s period of political leadership in Borno State, including references to the Galtimari Committee’s findings and questions raised publicly about political developments in the state before insecurity escalated.
The organisation, however, cautioned that such references should not be interpreted as proof of criminal responsibility, stressing that no allegation should be treated as established criminal culpability without a competent court determining so.
According to the group, the APC’s 2027 campaign should focus on issues such as security, employment, economic opportunities, infrastructure, education, food security and the administration’s record in office.
It said campaign appointments should consequently be guided by considerations of public confidence and the need to avoid controversies that could overshadow the party’s message.
NUFA stated, “We have heard the argument that Mr Sheriff has never been convicted. We accept that as a legal fact. But politics is not conducted in a courtroom, it is conducted in the hearts and memories of voters, and the hearts of the North-East still bleed from wounds that credible public records have tied, repeatedly and without retraction.”
The group further warned that it would reconsider its participation in the President’s 2027 re-election campaign if Sheriff remained in the campaign structure.
“President Tinubu may believe he can win the North-East with Mr Sheriff on his campaign council. Let us be clear: he cannot. The people of the region are not waiting to be told how to feel about this situation as they already know better,” the statement added.
NUFA concluded by calling on the APC leadership to reconsider the appointment, arguing that the North-East had other political figures capable of leading mobilisation efforts for the party and President Tinubu.
The group said, “The APC must choose now between the people of North-East and Ali Modu Sheriff. It cannot have both.”
It also maintained that the region deserved political representation focused on its aspirations for security, reconstruction, dignity and economic development.
