The Humanitarian Times

By Abdulkareem Haruna
Escalating the battle over the ruling party’s regional campaign structure ahead of the 2027 elections, a regional advocacy group has pushed back sharply against growing demands to exclude former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election machinery.

Speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri on Friday, the Northeast Coalition for Truth, Justice and Responsible Leadership (NECTJRL) defended Sheriff’s political pedigree. The coalition labeled recent petitions demanding his removal as opportunistic maneuvers masterminded by individuals seeking to settle personal scores under the guise of grassroots activism.

The pushback follows mounting friction within northern political circles. Over the week, certain groups—including the Niger Delta Youth Congress and the North-East Unity Forum for Asiwaju—have publicly urged the presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership to reconsider Sheriff’s appointment as a regional coordinator, citing strategic and reputational concerns.
NECTJRL convened the briefing to express public solidarity with Sheriff, framing him as an indispensable asset to the ruling party.

Leaders of the coalition emphasized Sheriff’s decades-long history in high-stakes Nigerian politics, noting his past service as governor, senator, and national party chairman.

The group cautioned APC stakeholders against weaponizing petitions, arguing that internal friction could severely fracture the northern coalition required for Tinubu’s victory.
Addressing journalists, NECTJRL Chairman Alhaji Abba Chamma Habib argued that a high-stakes national campaign cannot afford to alienate heavyweights who command extensive political networks. He noted that successful mobilisation across Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and the wider northern landscape requires leaders intimately familiar with the terrain.
“A winning national campaign cannot afford to deliberately push away experienced leaders with established relationships, political networks and the ability to mobilise support across different parts of the country,” Habib told reporters.

Habib questioned the motives driving the recent petitions, asking who truly benefits from manufacturing discord between the president’s support base and influential northern leaders.

“If the objective is truly Tinubu Continuity 2027, then every individual with the capacity to contribute to the campaign should be encouraged to participate. Personal political differences should not be allowed to weaken the coalition required for a successful national campaign,” he added.

The coalition maintained that the Northeast retains its own independent political voice and will not allow external critics to dictate who commands local respect or drives regional engagement.

“Nobody should sit somewhere and decide that the people of the Northeast should no longer listen to one of their experienced political leaders,” Habib stated, stressing that Sheriff’s political evolution, parliamentary tenure, and executive experience speak for themselves.

NECTJRL concluded by urging genuine loyalists of the administration to reject polarizing tactics, ignore propaganda disguised as public advocacy, and focus entirely on building a broad, inclusive coalition ahead of the 2027 polls.