Grassroots coalition hails Tinubu’s choice of Modu Sheriff

The Grassroots Coalition for Change (GCC) Thursday hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the appointment of former Borno State Governor and APC chieftain, 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 appointment according to the coalition is not only strategic but also timely and politically sound, saying Senator Sheriff possesses the experience, grassroots connections, and political network required to coordinate the APC’s presidential campaign effectively across the North-East.

The GCC, however, strongly condemned what it described as sustained media attacks against the personality and integrity of Senator Sheriff following his appointment, describing the attacks as politically motivated attempts to undermine a man who has been entrusted with an important responsibility by the President.

The group questioned the timing of the latest attacks against Senator Sheriff, asking why those raising allegations against him chose to remain silent when he was serving as National Chairman of major political parties and occupying other prominent positions in Nigeria’s political space.

“Where was this person when Sheriff was made National Chairman? Where was he when Sheriff held key positions within the political parties and played prominent roles in national politics? Why did these allegations not become an issue, then?” the coalition asked.

They noted that the sudden emergence of the allegations immediately after Sheriff’s appointment as the North-East Zonal Campaign Coordinator for President Tinubu’s 2027 campaign raises legitimate questions about the motives behind the attacks.

According to the GCC, the timing suggests that the objective may be to discredit Sheriff and weaken his ability to mobilise the North-East for the President.

They further urged Nigerians to look beyond the allegations and examine why they are being raised now, when Sheriff has been entrusted with a specific political responsibility and is focused on delivering the North-East for President Tinubu.

In the statement which was signed the National Coordinator,
Grassroots Coalition for Change (GCC), Bello Y. Johnson, the coalition added that it was aware of the individuals and interests behind the latest media campaign against Sheriff, alleging that the person sponsoring the attacks is from Katsina State who is not from the North-East zone and therefore has no basis to dictate who should coordinate the political affairs of the region.

“This individual has sustained a campaign against Senator Ali Modu Sheriff for the past 15 years yet has failed to establish any tangible, credible, or meaningful evidence to substantiate the allegations repeatedly levelled against him,” the coalition said.

The GCC therefore questions why Nigerians should suddenly attach credibility to claims that have remained unproven for more than a decade, particularly now that Sheriff has been appointed to coordinate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign in the North-East.

The coalition said the persistence of the allegations, without credible evidence to support them, suggests that the campaign is driven more by political motives than by a genuine pursuit of accountability.

The coalition said the North-East appreciates President Tinubu’s decision to appoint Sheriff and remains confident in his ability to mobilise the region and deliver substantial support for the President in the 2027 presidential election.

According to the GCC, Senator Sheriff is a politician of considerable experience and reputation whose political career spans decades and includes service as Governor of Borno State, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), National Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), as well as other significant political responsibilities.

The coalition said these experiences have equipped Sheriff with an understanding of party administration, electoral politics, grassroots mobilisation and stakeholder engagement, making him well suited to coordinate a politically diverse region such as the North-East.

The GCC also rejected attempts to link Senator Sheriff personally to the Boko Haram insurgency, stressing that there has never been an established finding that he was the originator of Boko Haram.

“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 such allegations whenever Sheriff is given a political responsibility amount to an effort to distract attention from the assignment before him.

“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 GCC further 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.

“Attempt to discredit Sheriff through negative media reports as unfortunate, particularly at a time when political stakeholders across the region should be focused on issues affecting development, security, employment, infrastructure and economic opportunities for the people.

“The President had demonstrated political maturity by choosing experienced political figures to coordinate the APC’s campaign structures across the country rather than relying solely on individuals whose political influence is limited to Abuja.

“The coalition believes that the North-East requires a campaign coordinator who understands the region’s political, social and cultural dynamics and can engage traditional institutions, elected officials, party leaders, youth organisations, women’s groups, community leaders and other stakeholders.

“We know the person who sponsored this media attack against Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. The person is from Katsina and is not from Sheriff’s zone. The people of the North-East are capable of deciding who is best positioned to coordinate their political mobilisation. We will not allow outsiders with personal political interests to dictate the affairs of our zone,” the GCC stated.

The coalition nevertheless urged supporters of Senator Sheriff to remain focused and avoid responding to political attacks with counter-attacks, saying the best response to the controversy would be a successful campaign and effective grassroots mobilisation.