The Coalition for Ganduje Support Groups (CGSG) has condemned what it described as acts of hooliganism during the All Progressives Congress (APC) North-East Zonal meeting held recently in Gombe.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, National Coordinator Alhaji Abdulrahman Salihu criticised the disruptions allegedly carried out by individuals loyal to Vice President Kashim Shettima.
According to Salihu, the unrest was triggered by the failure of speakers at the event to mention the Vice President’s name while endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
Salihu described the actions as “urban violence” and “public hysteria,” alleging that the disruptions were orchestrated by individuals “who resorted to lawlessness for merely not hearing the name of their sponsor and principal mentioned by APC governors.”
He maintained that governors have the freedom to express their political support as they see fit.
“All three APC governors from the North-East zone who spoke at the event have full justification to articulate their thoughts without being compelled on what to say or whom to mention,” he said.
Salihu noted that the absence of a reference to the Vice President in the governors’ remarks “does not subtract from the fact that he was a running mate to President Tinubu in 2023 and is currently the Vice President of Nigeria.”
He added that political endorsements are within the discretion of elected leaders and that it is not obligatory to mention every stakeholder in such statements.
“The President remains the central figure in any administration, and support for him does not imply disrespect to his deputy,” Salihu said.
The coalition also condemned what it called physical aggression against party officials. Salihu said it was regrettable that the APC North-East Zonal Chairman, Alhaji Salisu Mustapha, was attacked and that sachets of water were thrown at the APC National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
He called the incident “unacceptable and condemnable,” urging party members and supporters to uphold order and decorum at political gatherings.
