by Ibrahim Panshak

A political advocacy group, Borno Coalition for Good Governance, has accused the former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Mordu Sheriff, of being a mole of the Peoples Democratic Party, planted in the opposition party to scuttle the presidential ambition of former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

The Borno-based non-governmental organisation described Modu Sherrif’s exit from the All Progressives Congress as a timely relief.

Represented by its project manager, Modu Wulgo, and Secretary, John Ndi Bula, the NGO said, “We are in possession of incontrovertible evidence that since 2003 Sheriff has been used by the PDP to destabilise the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) on whose platform he was elected governor twice.

“The leadership crisis which rocked the party for almost five years was actually caused by Sheriff in order to ensure the ANPP presidential flag bearer, Muhammadu Buhari, did not find a breathing space in the party.”

The group further alleged that in 2003, 2007 and 2011, Sheriff voted against Buhari in the presidential elections despite being a major beneficiary of the General’s tremendous goodwill from Borno masses.

“This was why his party men then referred him as ‘ANPP in body and PDP in spirit’. This hypocrisy is partly responsible for the pathetic situation the country has found itself today – no thanks to the inept administration of Goodluck Jonathan.”

“As a non-governmental organisation that believes in the promotion of good governance and entrenchment of democratic values, we see the exit of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as ‘good riddance to bad rubbish’. This is because Sheriff and his cohorts were actually moles planted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to destabilise the APC.”

“This was why throughout his stay in the party he struggled desperately to gain control of the party machinery, but when he discovered that one of the leaders of the party in the person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had discovered his antics, Sheriff resorted to cheap blackmail against the former Lagos State governor and throwing tantrums at the party.”

On the basis of this, the group charged the people of Borno State not to be deceived anymore by the “self -seeking politician”, saying his claim of joining the PDP to rescue the state is a cheap propaganda and playing to the gallery.

According to the group, “the fact remains that his (Sheriff’s) exit from office in 2011 has denied him the opportunity of milking the state resources which he used to enrich himself and his father who never completed any contract awarded to him by the Borno State government since 1999.”

“The late Governor Mala Kachallah, out of frustration, had to hire another contractor to complete the roofing of the 202 housing estate as the senior Sheriff was paid for the job, but absconded with the money.”

The Borno Coalition for Good Governance declared that it would oppose any attempt to reelect Modu Sheriff to power by any means possible.

“This is because it will amount to returning the State to the inglorious eight-year reign where life for an average Borno man was ‘brutish’ because of the economic hardship instilled by his irresponsible administration.”

Furthermore, they claimed that while in office, Sheriff abandoned the Late Shehu of Borno, Mustapha Ibn Umar El-Kanemi, without adequate care, despite his deteriorating health until he died in 2009,

“Keen followers of Borno politics will recall that the late Shehu was known for his love for peaceful co-existence among the people and residents of Borno regardless of whatever social differences.”

The group said Sheriff left the late Shehu abandoned because he frowned at the increasing influence of political thugs known as ECOMOG whom Sheriff used to terrorise the State and his political opponents for eight years.