All Peoples Congress (APC) Coalition in Borno State has rejected moves by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to return to the party, stressing that any returnee or potential new member must join from his or her ward.

Chairman of the Coalition, Maina Bashir, and its Secretary, Abdullahi Mala in a statement issued on Wednesday in Maiduguri, said the Coalition was alerted to a story published in the Leadership Newspaper of Wednesday, 20 September 2017, with the headline, ‘APC Members Woo Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff’.

“The crux of the story is that some unknown and unidentified members of our great party seek the return of Sheriff, who until recently was the factional Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”

The Coalition said it was not aware of any call or move by any person or group for the return of Sheriff to the APC, stressing that as committed members and stakeholders of the APC in all the 27 Local Government Areas of Borno State, they ought to have been aware of “any sincere move or effort for the return of Sheriff to our party, which he defected from at its greatest moment of need – just before the 2015 general elections.

“Secondly, the Borno State chapter of the APC is currently at peace, with no crisis whatsoever. This is because of the excellent leadership provided by the Governor of the state, His Excellency, Kashim Shettima, which has allowed the party to bloom. We are wary of anyone joining the party, who is likely to change this situation for the worse.”

The group also affirmed that while they may have no objection to Sheriff or any other person joining the party, “we wish to state clearly that every returnee or potential new member must join from his or her ward. We do not want ‘Abuja politicians’ with no substance at home in our party.

“Finally, if the speculation is true that Sheriff has indeed eaten the humble pie and with his tail in-between his legs, wants to return to the APC, he should go to Ngala, his home town and register with his ward chairman. If Sheriff does not have the details of his APC Ward Chairman, we will gladly supply him.”