A former Special Adviser to the Borno State Governor and a stakeholder of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Zarma Mustapha, has called on the party’s leadership to urgently correct the omission of Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s photograph from a banner displayed at a recent APC event in Borno State.
Reacting to the development, Mustapha described the incident as unfortunate, warning that it could fuel unnecessary speculation within and outside the party.
“It is unfortunate that this has happened again after the Gombe incident. For whatever reason the Vice President’s picture was excluded, it gives room for speculation.
“Anyone observing from outside would conclude that there is a motive behind it. The party needs to act quickly to correct this, otherwise it could undermine unity and cohesion,” he said.
Mustapha stressed that the ruling party needs to avoid actions capable of generating rumours or uncertainty as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
“The APC needs all hands on deck ahead of the 2027 elections and should avoid actions capable of generating rumours or uncertainty,” he said.
According to him, acknowledging the Vice-President’s position publicly would only strengthen the ruling party.
“Putting the picture of the Vice President takes nothing away. Instead, it sends a strong message of unity and commitment within President Tinubu’s team,” Mustapha added.
Naijaonpoint reports that the call comes amid renewed internal unease within the APC over Shettima’s political future ahead of 2027, following the omission of his photograph from a banner displayed at a major party event in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The incident occurred on Monday during the North-East zonal public hearing on proposed amendments to the APC constitution, attended by governors, party leaders and other stakeholders from the region.
The banner featured images of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the five APC governors from the North-East and the party’s National Legal Adviser, but conspicuously excluded Shettima, who is from Borno State.
The omission sparked an immediate protest from the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, who described it as unfair, provocative and ill-timed, warning that such actions risk reopening unresolved fault lines within the ruling party.