Shettima Omitted From APC Banner at North-East Hearing, Party Members Protest

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

The omission drew sharp criticism from party stakeholders and delegates at the venue. The Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, publicly objected, describing the action as inappropriate and disrespectful to the Vice-President.

The banner featured images of President Bola Tinubu, the five APC governors from the North-East, and the party’s National Legal Adviser. Shettima’s photograph was absent, despite his position as Vice-President and a leading APC figure from the region.

Some attendees recalled a similar incident at an APC event in Gombe State last year, where the Vice-President’s image was also excluded, leading to a disruption that reportedly forced the meeting to end.

Addressing participants, Lawan expressed concern over the omission and warned of its potential to create internal discord. “Why would the Vice-President’s picture not be included in the banner? This same issue caused problems in Gombe, and it is happening again in Borno,” he said. “I do not know the intention of the organisers, but it is wrong.”

He added that excluding the image of a sitting Vice-President from Borno and the North-East was unacceptable.

Lawan’s comments were greeted with loud applause, reflecting broad disapproval of the omission among party members at the event.