Anger flared among All Progressives Congress stakeholders in Maiduguri on Monday after the party failed to include Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s image on a banner displayed at the North-East Zonal Public Hearing on the proposed amendment of the APC constitution.
The development sparked heated reactions from delegates and party leaders, with the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, condemning the exclusion as an affront to the Vice-President and the people of the region.
The banner, prepared for the event, carried photographs of President Bola Tinubu, the five APC governors from the North-East and the party’s National Legal Adviser. However, Shettima’s image was missing, despite his position as Nigeria’s second-in-command and a key political figure from Borno State.
Political observers recalled that this was not the first time such a situation had occurred, pointing to a similar incident in Gombe State last year that reportedly caused a commotion and led to the abrupt end of an APC meeting.
Speaking at the gathering, Lawan expressed deep concern over the omission, warning that such actions could deepen internal divisions within the party. He questioned the rationale behind excluding the Vice-President’s photograph, stressing that the move was both inappropriate and provocative.
His comments resonated with the audience, who responded with loud applause, signalling their displeasure with the organisers’ decision.
