‘No opposition in Borno’, Commissioner speaks on viral video

Borno State's Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Youth Empowerment, and Sports, Comrade Saina Buba, has denied allegations of threatening political opponents following a viral video. The video showed Buba making remarks that appeared to incite violence against dissenters. However, during a press conference in Maiduguri, Buba insisted that his statements had been misconstrued and that he was only addressing disgruntled members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Northeast region.

He clarified that the remarks were made at an internal party event aimed at reprimanding those who voted against the party during the APC primaries. Buba emphasized that his threat to "break fingers" and deny benefits was figurative and that all party members would be rewarded equally for their loyalty. He also warned of increased attacks from opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections but maintained that Borno had no opposition and would secure all electoral positions.