Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima on Friday refused to attend the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which took place at the Eagle Square in Abuja, because of the kidnapped Chibok girls.
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State
This was made known in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Saturday, by the governor’s Special Adviser on Communication, Isa Gusau.
According to the statement, the governor’s refusal to attend the occasion was a sign of respect for the abducted schoolgirls.
“Shettima stayed away from the Eagle Square, venue of APC national convention as a mark of respect for victims of series of Boko Haram attacks in Borno that include families of those killed across the state.
“The action is also to honour parents who have remained in despair following the abduction of about 200 school girls at Government Secondary School, Chibok.
“The governor believes that the convention was a legitimate democratic process that must not be stopped in order to defy insurgents.
“Their (insurgents) desire is to suspend and replace liberal and constitutional democracy with violent doctrines that has no religious backing” it said.
Gusau further disclosed that the governor decided not attend the convention as part of efforts not to upset the already intense emotions of victims of the consecutive assaults in the state.
The statement, however, revealed that the governor sent his deputy, Zannah Mustapha to represent him at the occasion, adding that Shettima believes strongly in the aspirations and visions of the party, which is to transform Nigeria.
Borno State which had recently witnessed series of deadly attacks is the strong hold of the radical Islamist sect-Boko Haram. The sect members on April 14 kidnapped over 234 female students who were writing their WEAC examination at Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok Local Government Area of the state. The sect members had killed scores of people in a repeated attacks on the community and its neighbouring boarder towns.
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