There was tension on Monday in Maiduguri, Borno State, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not include the photograph of Vice-President Kashim Shettima on a banner displayed at the party’s North-East Zonal Public Hearing on proposed amendments to its constitution.

The omission sparked strong reactions from party delegates and stakeholders, as the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan’s comments were greeted with loud applause from the audience, underscoring the widespread dissatisfaction among party members present at the hearing.

The event banner featured images of President Bola Tinubu, the five APC governors from the North-East region, and the party’s National Legal Adviser.

However, Shettima’s photograph was noticeably absent, despite his position as Nigeria’s Vice-President and his status as a leading APC figure from the zone.

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Party observers pointed out that the incident echoed a similar occurrence at an APC function in Gombe State last year, where the exclusion of Shettima’s image reportedly caused a disturbance that led to the premature suspension of the meeting.

While addressing attendees, Lawan—Nigeria’s longest-serving Speaker—expressed surprise and concern over the development, warning that such actions could create avoidable internal friction within the party.

“Why would the Vice-President’s picture not be included in the banner? This was what created the fracas in Gombe, and it is repeating itself here in Borno. I do not know the motive of the organisers, but it is not right,” he said.

He further questioned the decision, adding, “How can the organisers exclude the picture of a sitting Vice-President, who is from Borno and the North-East zone?”

Lawan’s comments were greeted with loud applause from the audience, underscoring the widespread dissatisfaction among party members present at the hearing.