By Oscar Okhifo
A group , the Grassroots Coalition for Change (GCC) has backed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 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, describing the choice as strategic and politically sound.
Sheriff’s inclusion in the APC campaign council has generated controversy, with some individuals and groups questioning his appointment and calling for his removal over longstanding allegations linking him to the Boko Haram insurgency.
However, the APC’s published campaign council list still identifies Sheriff as the North-East Zonal Campaign Coordinator.
The GCC’s intervention amounts to a vote of confidence in the former governor at a time when his appointment is under public scrutiny.
In a statement signed on Thursday, August 27, by its National Coordinator, Bello Y. Johnson, the coalition condemned what it described as sustained media attacks against Sheriff, alleging that the renewed campaign was politically motivated and intended to undermine his ability to mobilise support for President Tinubu across the North-East ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The group said Sheriff possesses the political experience, grassroots connections and extensive network required to coordinate the APC’s campaign effectively across the region.
It questioned the timing of the latest attacks, arguing that similar allegations had not prevented Sheriff from holding prominent political positions, including serving as governor of Borno State and national chairman of major political parties.
According to the coalition, the resurgence of the allegations shortly after Sheriff’s appointment raises questions about the motives of those behind the campaign, suggesting that the objective may be to discredit him and weaken his capacity to mobilise support for the President.
The GCC further alleged that an individual sponsoring the latest media campaign against Sheriff is from Katsina State and outside the North-East geopolitical zone. It argued that political interests outside the region should not determine who coordinates political mobilisation in the North-East.
The coalition claimed that the individual had sustained a campaign against Sheriff for about 15 years without producing credible evidence to substantiate the accusations repeatedly levelled against him.
It therefore questioned why allegations that had remained unproven for years should suddenly be treated as credible following Sheriff’s appointment to coordinate the APC’s presidential campaign in the North-East.
The GCC maintained that the continued circulation of the allegations without credible evidence suggested that the campaign was driven more by political considerations than by a genuine pursuit of accountability.
The coalition also rejected attempts to personally link Sheriff to the Boko Haram insurgency, insisting that there has never been an established finding that he was the originator of the group.
“Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is not the originator of Boko Haram. That allegation has never been established. Nobody can simply pin the Boko Haram issue on Senator Sheriff and use an unsubstantiated allegation to destabilise him or undermine the responsibility he has been given,” the coalition said.
According to the GCC, attempts to revive the allegations whenever Sheriff is entrusted with a political responsibility amount to efforts to distract him from his assignment.
“Sheriff is focused on one thing: delivering the North-East for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
“He is a politician of repute, and he understands the political terrain of the region. Those behind these attacks should not be allowed to distract him from the responsibility entrusted to him by the President,” the coalition stated.
The group described Sheriff as a politician with considerable experience, noting that his political career spans several decades and includes service as governor of Borno State, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and National Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
The coalition said those positions had given Sheriff extensive experience in party administration, electoral politics, grassroots mobilisation and stakeholder engagement.
It argued that such experience would be particularly valuable in the North-East, where the campaign coordinator is expected to engage political leaders, traditional institutions, elected officials, youth organisations, women’s groups, community leaders and other stakeholders across the six states of the zone.
The GCC further said Sheriff’s political experience cuts across party lines and generations, citing his previous roles in the ANPP and PDP as well as his current position as an APC chieftain.
According to the group, his exposure to different political structures has equipped him to engage stakeholders from diverse political backgrounds.
The coalition described President Tinubu’s decision to appoint Sheriff as a strategic effort to strengthen the APC’s grassroots organisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, rather than merely a political reward.
It maintained that effective campaign coordination requires political experience, organisational capacity and a strong understanding of local realities—qualities it said Sheriff possesses.
The group urged APC members and supporters across the North-East to unite behind the campaign structure and give Sheriff the cooperation required to discharge his responsibilities effectively.
It also called on party stakeholders to resist attempts to turn the appointment into a source of internal division, stressing that the priority should be to take the policies, programmes and achievements of the Tinubu administration to voters across the region.
The GCC said the North-East should not be defined by political disagreements or attempts by individuals outside the zone to create division among its political stakeholders.
“The North-East appreciates the appointment of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. He understands the region, he understands its political dynamics, and he has the network required to engage stakeholders across the zone.
“We are confident that he is capable of delivering the North-East for President Tinubu,” the coalition said.
The group also urged Sheriff’s supporters to remain focused and avoid responding to political attacks with counter-attacks, saying the best response to the controversy would be successful grassroots mobilisation and an effective campaign.
The coalition maintained that the 2027 election should focus on competing visions for Nigeria’s future and allow voters to make their choices freely, rather than rely on personal attacks and unsubstantiated allegations to discredit political opponents.
Reaffirming its confidence in President Tinubu’s decision and Sheriff’s capacity to execute the assignment, the GCC said the former governor has the political network, organisational experience and understanding of the North-East required to lead the APC’s mobilisation efforts in the region.
“We are confident that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff will rise to the occasion. He is focused on delivering the North-East for President Tinubu, and nobody can distract him with allegations that have never been established. He remains a politician of repute, and we believe he has the experience, network and capacity to deliver the zone for the President,” the coalition said.
The GCC again commended President Tinubu for appointing Sheriff and urged APC stakeholders across the North-East to rally behind him as preparations for the 2027 presidential election intensify.