Borno Sponsored Australian Negotiator’s Allegations Against Me, Says Sheriff

Ali Modu SheriffFormer Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, on Tuesday said his joining the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was a personal sacrifice required to bring the necessary intervention to the people of his state.

Sheriff, who stormed Maiduguri, the state capital, on a condolence visit to Alhaji Kashim Imam, a governorship candidate of the PDP in 2003 and 2007 elections, and condole with Internally Displaced Persons in the state, said the allegation by the Australian hostage negotiator, Dr. Steven Davis that he is a Boko Haram sponsor, was hatched in the state by his detractors.

He said it was a great disservice to link him with the insurgency in the county, saying, “If I am a Boko Haram sponsor, there would not have been any government in Borno for anyone to inherit.”

“The allegation by the Australian was hatched in Maiduguri to smear my name by those that are not comfortable with my political goodwill. We should be careful how we treat issues because some of these things could later backfire.

“It is sad to hear that the state-owned television, for about four days, carried the broadcast of the allegation of the Australian against me. The people of the state know who I am and what I have done and what I can do.

“I have suffered a lot in their hands; they killed my brother just an hour after he was with me; they killed the governorship candidate of my party, a candidate that I supported. There is nobody in Borno that has not suffered from the insurgents”, Sheriff lamented.

On why he dumped the All Progressives Congress for the PDP, the ex-governor said: “My being in the PDP is a personal sacrifice for my people. I am in PDP so as to make the necessary intervention for my people. There is no sacrifice too much for me to make for the people of Borno for they have done so much for me”.

Sheriff later donated N30m to each of the five different camps as well as foodstuff to be shared to the displaced.