The appointment of former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) North-East Zonal Campaign Coordinator for the 2027 presidential election has triggered a fresh political debate, with a grassroots group rallying behind the decision and accusing critics of attempting to derail the party’s mobilisation efforts in the region.

The Grassroots Coalition for Change (GCC), in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Bello Johnson, described President Bola Tinubu’s choice of Sheriff as a calculated move that could strengthen the APC’s political machinery across the North-East.

The coalition also pushed back against renewed allegations associating the former governor with the Boko Haram insurgency, describing the claims as politically driven and unsupported by credible evidence.

Sheriff’s appointment comes as political parties gradually begin positioning their structures ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the North-East expected to remain a crucial battleground because of its population, political influence and history of competitive presidential contests.

For the GCC, Sheriff’s long experience in national politics gives him an advantage in coordinating the APC’s campaign across the six states of the zone.

The group pointed to his years in Borno politics and his involvement in national party leadership, arguing that his familiarity with political actors and grassroots structures could prove useful as the APC seeks to consolidate its support ahead of the election.

However, the appointment has also brought old controversies surrounding Sheriff back into public discussion.

The GCC accused unnamed political interests of reviving allegations against the former governor almost immediately after his appointment, questioning why similar accusations had not prevented him from holding prominent political positions over the years.

“Why did these allegations not become an issue then?” the coalition asked, arguing that the timing of the renewed attacks suggested an attempt to undermine Sheriff’s new political assignment.

The group specifically rejected claims that Sheriff was responsible for the emergence of Boko Haram, insisting that the allegation had not been established as fact.

“Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is not the originator of Boko Haram. That allegation has never been established,” the coalition said.

Boko Haram emerged as a major security threat in Borno and other parts of the North-East, with the insurgency developing into one of Nigeria’s most devastating security crises. Sheriff governed Borno between 2003 and 2011, a period that preceded the full-scale escalation of the insurgency that later engulfed the region.

The GCC said the history of the insurgency should not be used to automatically turn political allegations against individuals into established facts without credible evidence.

It further alleged that an unnamed individual from Katsina State had spent about 15 years attacking Sheriff over the issue without producing evidence it considered sufficient to substantiate the claims.

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The coalition argued that the renewed controversy could be an attempt to weaken Sheriff politically at a time when the APC is seeking to build an effective campaign structure throughout the North-East.

Sheriff is no stranger to national political battles. Beyond his tenure as Borno governor, he has held influential positions within major political parties, including the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The GCC said his experience across different political platforms had given him exposure to party administration, electoral strategy, grassroots organisation and negotiations involving competing political interests.

Those qualities, it argued, would be particularly important in the North-East, where political campaigns often require engagement beyond formal party structures to include elected officials, traditional institutions, community leaders, youth and women organisations and other local stakeholders.

The group also described Tinubu’s decision to place experienced politicians in strategic campaign positions as an indication that the APC was preparing to take its 2027 mobilisation directly to the grassroots rather than relying heavily on political structures in Abuja.

It maintained that a campaign coordinator for the North-East must understand the political realities of the region and possess relationships capable of translating national campaign objectives into local support.

The coalition therefore called on APC members across the six states of the North-East to support Sheriff and resist what it described as attempts to turn the controversy surrounding his past into a distraction from preparations for the 2027 election.

It also appealed to Sheriff’s supporters to avoid responding to criticism with similar attacks, saying the more effective response would be to build strong grassroots structures and sell the policies and achievements of the Tinubu administration to voters.

According to the group, the North-East should have a decisive voice in determining the political leadership of the region and should not be subjected to what it described as political direction from individuals outside the zone.

The GCC said the 2027 contest should ultimately be about competing policies, programmes and visions for Nigeria, rather than personal attacks and allegations that have not been proven.

With the appointment now attracting renewed scrutiny, the coalition said Sheriff’s immediate responsibility should remain focused on organising the APC’s campaign machinery across the North-East and mobilising support for President Tinubu.

It urged party stakeholders to put internal disagreements aside and concentrate on building a united campaign structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that political mobilisation at the grassroots would be more important than the controversies surrounding individual personalities.