APC chieftains ‘plotting to humiliate Shettima with smear campaign’

The Coalition of Civil Societies and Media Executives for Good Governance in Nigeria (COCMEGG) says there is a plot to humiliate Kashim Shettima, former governor of Borno state, through a smear campaign.

In a statement on Thursday in Lagos, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, president of the group, alleged that a group of seven chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state were behind the plot.

He said the party leaders have planted an allegation on social media claiming Shettima, senator representing Borno central, is worth $900 million in cash.

“As activists of public rights, we have the solemn duty to raise our voices not only against the wrongs carried out by public office holders but also those done against them by other Nigerians,” Aigbegbele said.

“We speak against everything that is either evil or wrong. Since December 2019, a group of seven chieftains of the APC in Borno state, five of whom are former public office holders and two of them in public service, have been making frantic efforts against one of their own, former Governor Kashim Shettima. Their main grievance is outcome of the 2019 governorship election in Borno, and ahead of 2023.

“My particular concern is the fact that these chieftains have been shopping for civil societies they can recruit into their evil mission. The group has recruited two experts on ICT and social media engagements and have also gone far in trying to register a pseudo civil society platform they call Northeast Vanguard Against Corruption and Bad Governance, with the singular objective of leading vicious media campaigns against the former Governor and the current administration in Borno state.

“Their number one aim is to have Kashim Shettima humiliated whether by the EFCC and ICPC or by losing at the polls in 2023 should he seek reelection for the Borno central senatorial seat which he now occupies.

“As part of their mission, the chieftains recently planted through one of their associates, a mischievous narrative on Twitter, that former Governor Kashim Shettima has been claiming he is worth $900m which is equivalent to nearly N400 billion. This outrageous claim means Shettima is now worth more than the combination of federal allocation and internally generated revenue his government received in the eight years he was Governor of Borno.”