The National Director of Publicity for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bala Ibrahim, has dismissed concerns surrounding the omission of Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s photograph from a party banner, describing the controversy as overblown and deliberately provocative.
In a phone interview with Daily Trust, Ibrahim said the speculation about Shettima’s political future is exaggerated and designed to sow discord within the Presidency.
“You don’t talk about crossing a river before you get to the bridge. This speculation about the position of the Vice President is overhyped and laced with mischief, intended to trigger a rift in the Presidency,” he explained.
Ibrahim added that the Constitution recognises a single presidency, noting that the Vice-President’s role is primarily to provide constitutional cover when the President is unable to discharge his duties.
“At no point has the Vice President complained of being sidelined or excluded. It is troublemakers who are creating a storm in a teacup,” he said, urging party members to exercise restraint as conversations around the 2027 general elections intensify.
Omission of Banner Image Sparks Protest
The remarks come amid renewed tension within the APC over Shettima’s political positioning ahead of 2027, following the exclusion of his photograph from a banner at a major party event in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The incident took place on Monday during the North-East zonal public hearing on proposed amendments to the APC constitution, attended by governors, party officials, and other stakeholders from the region.
The banner featured images of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the five APC governors from the North-East, and the party’s National Legal Adviser, but notably omitted the Vice-President, a native of Borno State.
The omission prompted an immediate protest from the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, who condemned the act as unfair, provocative, and poorly timed.
Speaking at the event, Lawan warned that such actions risk reopening unresolved divisions within the ruling party and urged organisers to be sensitive to issues affecting party unity in the North-East.
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