The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review and reverse the appointment of former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as the North-East Zonal Campaign Coordinator of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
The group said its position was informed by political prudence and concerns over the reputational and strategic implications of placing Sheriff in a frontline position in the campaign structure.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Israel Uwejeyan, the NDYC said the 2027 presidential election would require a campaign organisation capable of commanding broad public confidence, particularly in the North-East, a region that has experienced prolonged insecurity, displacement and destruction.
The group expressed concern that controversies and historical allegations associated with Sheriff could distract from the campaign’s message and create an avoidable political liability for Tinubu.
The NDYC, however, stressed that its objection was not an assertion of criminal guilt against the former governor.
“Let us be clear: the issue is not whether Senator Sheriff has been convicted of a criminal offence. He has not. The issue is whether every politically possible appointment is necessarily a politically wise appointment,” it said.
The group said there was a distinction between an individual’s legal presumption of innocence and the strategic suitability of such a person to serve as the public face of a presidential campaign.
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According to the NDYC, “A presidential campaign is not a courtroom. It is also not merely a collection of individuals who have political experience. It is a communication architecture through which a candidate’s values, judgement and vision are projected to millions of Nigerians.”
It argued that perception, credibility and public confidence were critical to the success of any presidential campaign, adding that appointments capable of generating controversy should be reconsidered rather than defended at all costs.
The group also highlighted the impact of insecurity on communities across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, saying the region deserved campaign leadership capable of inspiring confidence.
“The people of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and the wider North-East have endured the consequences of terrorism and violent extremism for far too long. Thousands of families have lost loved ones; communities have been displaced; businesses have been destroyed; young people have grown up under the shadow of insecurity,” it said.
The NDYC said the APC’s campaign in the region should focus on security, reconstruction, economic recovery, youth empowerment and renewed confidence in government, rather than controversies surrounding the identity of its coordinator.
While acknowledging Tinubu’s right to select individuals he considers capable of advancing his political interests, the group said leadership also required recognising when an appointment could create greater political liability than strategic value.
It maintained that removing Sheriff from the campaign council would not amount to an admission of guilt but would demonstrate political maturity and sensitivity.
“A campaign organisation is not a constitutional entitlement. It is a strategic instrument,” the group said, adding that there were experienced politicians and capable organisers across the North-East who could coordinate the campaign without attracting similar controversy.
The NDYC said its assessment was not based on Sheriff’s political experience.
“The question is not whether Senator Sheriff is politically experienced. He undoubtedly is. The question is whether, among the many available options, he is the best strategic choice for the President’s campaign at this particular moment and the NDYC’s answer is NO,” it said.
The group consequently urged Tinubu, the APC leadership and the Presidential Campaign Council to reconsider the appointment and select a “fresh, credible and broadly acceptable figure” capable of mobilising support across the North-East.
It also urged the President not to allow loyalty to individuals to take precedence over the broader objective of building a credible and electorally effective campaign.
The NDYC stressed that its intervention should not be interpreted as an attack on the North-East or Sheriff personally, saying its concern was the need for a campaign structure capable of inspiring confidence among voters in the region.
The group further urged the APC to remain open to reviewing political decisions, citing reports that the Presidency had acknowledged that the campaign structure remained subject to adjustments.
“The 2027 election should be fought on the President’s record, his policies, his vision for Nigeria and his plans for the future, not on controversies surrounding members of his campaign team,” the group said.
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