Dr Cairo Ojougboh, Deputy Director-General, Ali-Modu Sheriff Campaign Organisation, says Sheriff’s aspiration to be APC national chairman will not be hampered by speculations of alleged dealings with the Boko Haram sect.
Sheriff, a two term former governor of Borno and a former lawmaker, is a frontline APC national chairmanship aspirant.
Ojougboh gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
He said the allegations were baseless and could not be substantiated.
He said this was especially so because, relevant security agencies had investigated Sheriff on the allegation and found him not guilty.
“The DSS, Defense Intelligence Agency and other security outfits in the country have investigated Sheriff and found him innocent.
“As a stickler for truth, if I am not convinced of Sheriff’s standing on this issue, I will not come close to him, let alone work with him.
“I want to assure Nigerians and all APC members within and outside the country that Sheriff has nothing to do with the Boko Haram sect as is being alleged,” he said.
He wondered how anyone in his right frame of mind would accuse Sheriff of sponsoring Boko Haram, especially after he had been investigated and exonerated by security agencies.
Ojougboh, however, noted that the Boko Haram sect was already in existence in Borno before Sheriff became the state governor, adding that as governor, he promoted a law banning the sect in the state.
He said as governor, Sheriff in collaboration with security agencies, extradited Boko Haram members from Niger and Chad from Borno.
“This was why he was targeted and many of his close friends and associates were killed.
“Sheriff is one Nigerian that had been a victim of the activities of Boko Haram, because five members of his immediate family were killed by the sect.
“He narrowly escaped death because the bomb planted to kill him, exploded before he got to the point,” Ojougboh said.
Ojougboh, however, added that majority of APC governors were with Sheriff and were supporting his aspiration to become the party’s next national chairman at its national convention, slated for Feb. 26.
He noted that if the governors and other critical stakeholders of the APC believed that Sheriff was involved in the operations of the Boko Haram, they would not have anything to do with him.
Ojougboh further noted that the allegation that Sheriff was sponsoring Boko Haram had been on for long, even before the 10 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors invited him over to be the party’s national chairman.
“If Sheriff was a Boko Haram sponsor as being, the 10 PDP governors and the party’s critical stakeholders will not have anything to do with him.
“And that is one aspect of his political life that has stood out very strong for him.
“That an opposition party can call a man, saying we have looked at you, your capacity and ability, you have what we want, come and lead us speaks volumes.
“I wonder how many Nigerian politicians had received such invitation, “Ojougboh said.
He described the lingering allegation that Sheriff was a sponsor of Boko Haram as a none issue which should be disregarded by the general public and APC members.
According to Ojougboh, the allegation is being peddled by Sheriff’s political opponents and enemies, whom he defeated in elections in the past.
“In politics, people can speculate about anything and say things they knew nothing about.
“For a man who has been governor for two terms and in the Senate, he expectedly has a lot of enemies whom he defeated in electoral contests in the state.
“As it is in Nigeria and in politics across the world, whenever one defeats his political opponents in an election,the person becomes your enemy.
“Such persons cook up all kinds of stories to bring their political opponents down, with the pull him down syndrome,” Ojougboh said.
