The Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, has protested the exclusion of Vice-President, Kashim Shettima’s picture from a banner displaying party leaders at an All Progressives Congress event in Maiduguri.
The banner, displayed at the venue of the North-East zonal public hearing on the amendment of the APC constitution, featured the image of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, five APC governors from the North-East and the party’s National Legal Adviser, but conspicuously left out the Vice-President.
Reacting to the event, Lawan described the omission as unfair and provocative, particularly as the meeting was held in Shettima’s home state.
“How can the organisers exclude the picture of a sitting Vice-President, who is from Borno and the North-East zone?” the Speaker queried.
Lawan warned that such an omission could fuel avoidable tension, recalling that a similar incident had sparked a disruption at an APC meeting in Gombe last year.
“This is what created the fracas in Gombe, and it’s repeating itself here in Borno. I don’t know the motive of the organisers, but it’s not right,” he said.
His remarks were greeted with loud applause from party members and supporters at the venue, who echoed his displeasure over the development.
Governors and key stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress are currently in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for the North-East zonal public hearing ahead of the amendment of the party’s constitution.