Tensions are boiling within the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a rumoured plan to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima from the 2027 presidential ticket begins to tear at the party’s seams.
Although the next general election is still two years away, the controversy has already triggered violent clashes, protests, and a growing divide within the party—particularly in the North-East, where Shettima commands strong support.
The latest sign of trouble came on Sunday in Gombe State, where a stakeholders’ meeting of the APC North-East zone erupted into chaos following allegations that the Vice President was being sidelined.
A meeting convened to reaffirm support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid ended in violence after some key party leaders failed to mention Shettima as part of the proposed 2027 joint ticket. The omission provoked angry chants of “Shettima! Shettima!!” and a physical attack on APC North-East Zonal Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, who was struck with a chair and chased off the stage.
Held at the International Conference Centre in Gombe, the meeting descended into disorder after Salihu concluded his address without acknowledging the Vice President. He had called for a formal endorsement of Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for 2027, without mentioning Shettima.
Salihu stated, “We have no business not supporting this party with all the juicy appointments and responsibilities given to us by this government… We want to reaffirm and also adopt the endorsement earlier done by the National Working Committee, that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is endorsed to be a sole candidate for the 2027 election.”
This sparked immediate outrage among Shettima’s supporters, who interpreted the silence as a deliberate slight. In the chaos that followed, chairs and objects were thrown, prompting security personnel to intervene. Efforts to calm the situation by Deputy National Chairman (North), Alhaji Bukar Dalori, proved unsuccessful.
A Borno State delegate fumed, “It’s an insult to the entire region that our own son, the Vice President, was not even mentioned. This is a calculated attempt to sideline Shettima, and we will resist it with everything we have.”
Despite the endorsement of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket by North-East governors — Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and host governor Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe) — tensions remained high. Governor Yahaya declared, “The North-East is fully behind the President and the Vice President. Their leadership has brought renewed hope to this region.”
Still, the controversy deepened when APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, avoided a direct confirmation of Shettima’s place on the ticket in his closing remarks. He said, “This zone has produced the number two of this country… we are proud of his deputy, his Vice President, it is one ticket according to the Constitution,” but the statement failed to appease delegates, many of whom chanted, “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East.”
Some party members even threatened to shift allegiance to the opposition. “If Shettima is dropped, I will personally lead my people to vote for Atiku,” a chieftain from Adamawa said.
Outside the venue, police fired teargas to disperse the agitated crowd. Eyewitnesses said the confrontation reflected deep fractures within the party that could lead to mass defections if not addressed.
According to insiders, only Mustapha Salihu opposed the joint ticket at the meeting. Other key figures, including Hon. Usman Kumo (House of Reps Chief Whip), Senator M.T. Monguno (Senate Chief Whip), and APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Dalori, all endorsed the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, dismissed the speculation, calling it a distraction. “Shettima is a key asset—intelligent, focused, and deeply involved in this administration. These rumours are likely just political noise,” he said.
However, unconfirmed reports suggest some party powerbrokers may be considering a stronger northern figure as Tinubu’s 2027 running mate.
Delegates from Borno State expressed disappointment over Salihu’s remarks. Usman Aliyu, a delegate and DG of the Borno State Great Green Wall, said, “This is a slap on our faces… Honestly, we are disappointed because we expect to have one voice.”
He added that a formal communiqué affirming the Tinubu/Shettima ticket would be issued, though concerns linger over the silence of Gombe Governor Inuwa Yahaya during the event.
While Ganduje has previously stated that Tinubu and Shettima are inseparable under the Constitution, his vague speech on the day fueled more suspicion.
Sokoto APC Chairman Isa Acida declined to state his chapter’s position. However, a senior official, speaking anonymously, said, “We haven’t taken any position on the development but let me assure you that we will work together with the national headquarters… as regards the choice of candidates for the 2027 general election.”
The endorsement of Tinubu as sole candidate for 2027 had been moved by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and seconded by Kaduna Governor Uba Sani. National Assembly leaders followed suit, but the growing controversy over Shettima’s fate may complicate that momentum heading into 2027.
