APC Deputy National Chairman Says Shettima Banner Omission Likely an Oversight

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Ali Bukar Dalori, Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed claims that the recent party gathering in Maiduguri, Borno State, was intended to endorse or sideline any political figure.

Gossip News Now reports that Dalori spoke amid rising concerns within the APC following the exclusion of Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s photograph from a banner at the North-East zonal public hearing on proposed amendments to the party’s constitution.

The event, held on Monday, was attended by governors, party leaders, and stakeholders from the North-East. The banner featured images of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the five APC governors from the region, and the party’s National Legal Adviser, but notably left out Shettima, a native of Borno State.

The omission had earlier drawn public criticism from the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, who described it as unfair and provocative.

In an interview with Daily Trust on Monday night, Dalori said the controversy was being blown out of proportion.

“From all indications, some people are taking the comment by the Borno State Assembly speaker out of proportion. For me, as the deputy national chairman responsible for the 19 northern states, it was a harmless comment by the speaker,” he explained.

Dalori emphasized that the party leadership had no intention of undermining the Vice-President.

“You all know my closeness to the VP, and the APC chairman in Borno State is also close to him. There is no way we would participate in or oversee any gathering where the VP would be undermined,” he said.

He added that the Maiduguri meeting was convened strictly to discuss the APC constitution.

“The purpose of the meeting in Maiduguri was solely to deliberate on the APC constitution and nothing else,” Dalori said.

On the omission of Shettima’s photograph, he suggested it was likely an accidental oversight.

“The exclusion of Vice President Kashim Shettima from the poster could be an error in judgment by the organisers, and nothing more,” he concluded.