With the 2027 general election still two years away, the political alliance between President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima has come under intense scrutiny and internal party conflict within the All Progressives Congress (APC). A recent meeting of APC North-East stakeholders in Gombe State descended into chaos, exposing deep divisions over Shettima’s position as Tinubu’s running mate.
The gathering, held at the International Conference Centre, was initially convened to reaffirm support for Tinubu’s second-term bid. However, tensions flared when Mustapha Salihu, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), failed to mention Shettima in his endorsement speech. “We have no business not supporting this party with all the juicy appointments and responsibilities given to us by this government,” Salihu declared, urging the zonal executive committee to endorse Tinubu as “the sole candidate for the 2027 election.”
His omission sparked outrage among delegates who erupted into chants of “Shettima! Shettima!! Shettima!!!” and physically confronted Salihu, with one supporter striking him with a chair and another throwing a plastic bucket. Security forces had to intervene to restore order.
The unrest highlighted a faction within the APC that perceives the sidelining of Shettima as a calculated move. A Borno delegate condemned the exclusion, stating, “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 violent disruption, the governors of the North-East APC states—Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe)—had earlier publicly endorsed the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. Governor Yahaya affirmed, “The North-East is fully behind the President and the Vice President. Their leadership has brought renewed hope to this region.”
However, the tension deepened when APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, in his closing remarks, refrained from explicitly confirming Shettima’s candidacy. While praising the region’s contribution to the party’s electoral success and acknowledging the joint ticket constitutionally, Ganduje’s comments failed to quell the delegates’ anger, who chanted, “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East.”
Some delegates threatened defection to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if Shettima were dropped. “If Shettima is dropped, I will personally lead my people to vote for Atiku,” declared an adamant party chieftain from Adamawa State.
The meeting ended abruptly amid chaos, with dignitaries and lawmakers leaving the venue, and police deploying teargas to disperse the agitated crowd. Political analysts warn that this incident may signal deeper fractures within the APC, especially in the North-East, where Shettima enjoys strong grassroots support.
A party insider revealed that while most North-East APC leaders, including the Deputy National Chairman (North) Alhaji Bukar Dalori and Senate Chief Whip M.T. Monguno, endorsed the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, Mustapha Salihu stood alone in not explicitly supporting the joint ticket, fueling speculation of internal power struggles.
Meanwhile, the APC’s National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, dismissed rumors of Shettima’s potential removal as “political noise” and affirmed the strong working relationship between Tinubu and Shettima.
The controversy follows a recent national endorsement of Tinubu as the sole APC presidential candidate for 2027 by governors, National Assembly leaders, and party officials. Yet, the Gombe incident exposes fault lines that could affect the party’s cohesion and electoral prospects in the crucial North-East region.
