Ex-governor Sheriff, supporters absent as APC swears-in Borno executive

The APC inaugurated its Borno leadership on Saturday

The All Progressive Congress, APC, on Saturday swore-in its leaders in Borno State.

The event was attended by the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, and his supporters; while the embattled immediate past governor of the state, Ali Modu Sheriff, and his supporters, were absent.

The ceremony, held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, was attended by the Acting National Secretary of the APC, Tijani Tumsa, the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkareem Lawan, and other party leaders.

Mr. Sheriff, who helped elect the incumbent governor in 2011, has been having a running battle with him. The swearing-in of Borno leaders of the APC, in the absence of Mr. Sheriff, appears a confirmation that the latter is losing the control of the party in the state to his successor.

The crisis between both men worsened mid-January when a bomb explosion occurred in Maiduguri leading to the death of dozens of people; with residents blaming Mr. Sheriff for the blast.

Mr. Sheriff had arrived Maiduguri a couple of days before the explosion, his first visit to the state in 11 months. While hundreds of people including Borno commissioners went to receive the former governor, Mr. Shettima boycotted the event. Mr. Sheriff had to abandon the state after youth attacked his supporters while blaming him for the January explosion.

The swearing-in ceremony of the interim Borno APC leadership, led by Kaka Yale, a former senator, was still on at the time of this report.

More details later…