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Supporters of former Borno State Governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, led by Isa Aminu, have defended his appointment as the party’s North-East Zonal Campaign Coordinator, saying he is prepared to use his political experience to deliver victory for the APC in the 2027 elections.
The supporters also dismissed allegations linking Sheriff to Boko Haram, describing the claims as an attempt to undermine his political influence in the North-East.
They were reacting to criticism of Sheriff’s appointment by the Nigeria Rescue & Renewal Movement (NRRM).
In a statement signed by Aminu, the supporters said Sheriff had consistently denied any connection with Boko Haram, insisting that allegations against him should not be treated as established facts without evidence.
“Ali Modu Sheriff neither founded, funded nor fraternised with Boko Haram — directly or indirectly,” the statement said.
According to the group, Sheriff was himself among the political figures affected by the insurgency in Borno State, where Boko Haram’s activities caused widespread deaths, displacement and destruction.
The supporters argued that Sheriff’s longstanding political influence in the North-East was responsible for attempts to question his suitability for the campaign assignment.
“For decades, Sheriff has been a major force in North-East politics,” they said, adding that he had built political networks across the six states of the region and supported the emergence of several political leaders.
They also cited Sheriff’s relationship with Vice President Kashim Shettima, saying the former governor supported Shettima’s early political trajectory after he left banking for public service and politics.
The supporters described Sheriff as a “political godfather and one of the most influential figures in North-East politics”, saying his experience and grassroots connections would be valuable to the APC’s 2027 campaign.
On the allegations against him, the group challenged Sheriff’s critics to produce evidence rather than continue to recycle claims he had repeatedly denied.
“Politics must not become a courtroom where allegations are transformed into convictions without evidence,” it said.
The supporters said Sheriff’s appointment should not be interpreted as an endorsement of Boko Haram or its ideology.
“It is an acknowledgement of political experience, organisational capacity and regional influence,” they said.
They argued that Sheriff’s knowledge of the region and experience in North-East politics placed him in a strong position to coordinate the APC’s campaign ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group also challenged those opposed to his appointment to explain why a politician with deep roots in the region and extensive grassroots networks should be considered unfit for the role.
The supporters further suggested that opposition to Sheriff’s appointment could be linked to concerns over his involvement in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 campaign.
“Those working against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may simply be uncomfortable with putting one of the North-East’s most formidable political operators at the centre of the President’s 2027 campaign strategy,” they said.
They described Sheriff’s appointment as “a political calculation, not a criminal verdict”, while challenging his critics to “bring evidence, not recycled allegations.”
The supporters maintained that Sheriff’s political record showed him to be “a veteran of North-East politics, a major political strategist and, rather than a sponsor of the insurgency, one of the region’s early political victims of the Boko Haram era.”
They said Sheriff was ready to deploy his political experience, networks and knowledge of the North-East in support of the APC’s campaign ahead of the 2027 elections.
