The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review the appointment of Ali Modu Sheriff, a former Borno State Governor, 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 based on political prudence and concerns about the reputational and strategic implications of placing Sheriff in a frontline position within the campaign structure.
Israel Uwejeyan, the national coordinator of NDYC, said on Thursday, that the 2027 presidential election would require a campaign organisation capable of commanding broad public confidence, particularly in the North-East, which has experienced prolonged insecurity, displacement and destruction.
The group said it was concerned that controversies and historical allegations associated with Sheriff could distract from the campaign’s message and create an avoidable political liability for the President.
The NDYC, however, stressed that its objection was not based on an assertion of criminal guilt.
“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,” the group said.
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It added that there was a distinction between an individual’s legal presumption of innocence and the strategic suitability of that person to serve as the public face of a presidential campaign.
According to the group, “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.”
The NDYC said perception, credibility and public confidence were critical to the success of any presidential campaign, arguing that an appointment capable of generating controversy should be reconsidered rather than defended at all costs.
It particularly highlighted the impact of insecurity on communities across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, saying the region deserved campaign leadership that inspired 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 group argued that 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.
It acknowledged Tinubu’s right to select individuals he considers capable of advancing his political interests, but said leadership also required recognising when an appointment could create greater political liability than strategic value.
The NDYC maintained that removing Sheriff from the campaign council would not amount to an admission of guilt, but would instead 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 group 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 NDYC 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 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 group said its intervention should not be interpreted as an attack on the North-East or Sheriff personally, stressing that its concern was the need for a campaign structure capable of inspiring confidence among voters in the region.
The NDYC further urged the APC to embrace the possibility of reviewing political decisions, noting 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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