Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima could be replaced as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, calling the reports false and without basis.
In a statement issued on Monday, 26 January 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the APC had noticed what he described as a growing media buzz suggesting that the party might alter the ticket that won the 2023 presidential election.
Okay News reports that the party said the speculation recently became more intense after “names of specific individuals” were mentioned in public discussions as possible replacements for Shettima.
The APC warned media organisations against publishing unverified claims, saying such reports could fuel tension and division in Africa’s most populous country.
“Our Party states in categorical terms that the stories are purely speculative, untrue and utterly baseless,” the statement said.
It also urged the media to avoid giving attention to what it described as rumours from unreliable sources, adding that the intention behind such claims was to create “discord and confusion” in the political space.
The APC further said it was not engaged in any succession talks, noting that political activities remain restricted under Nigeria’s laws and election regulations.
Morka added that the party’s current priority is governance and support for President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima as they pursue the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, a policy banner the government says is aimed at reforming the economy and improving living conditions.
The party also cautioned its ministers, senior government officials, and party leaders to avoid comments that could deepen speculation or distract from their responsibilities.
“We call on our ministers, senior government and Party officials to avoid, wittingly or unwittingly, stoking needless speculations, and to focus on their primary duty of diligent service to government and our Party,” the statement said, while urging officials to highlight what it called the administration’s achievements.
The statement came hours after Hannatu Musawa, Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, warned that the APC could lose key northern states in 2027 if it changes the Tinubu Shettima ticket.
Musawa spoke during an episode of Mic On Show, hosted by Nigerian journalist Seun Okinbaloye, which was published on YouTube on Sunday, 25 January 2026.
She argued that removing Shettima, or failing to keep a northern Muslim running mate, could weaken the party’s support in Nigeria’s core North, where identity politics and voter mobilisation often shape election outcomes.
“If there is no Hausa, Fulani or Kanuri Muslim on that ticket, it creates a hurdle. That is the reality of the way people think,” Musawa said.
She listed Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Sokoto, all states in northern Nigeria, as places where she believes the party could face serious challenges if it changes its current ticket arrangement.
“The core north states, like Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Sokoto, understand politics at a very deep level. Politics is a way of life. People wait every four years to line up and vote because that is where they feel they have influence,” she said.
Musawa also rejected the idea that the APC could adjust its presidential ticket without consequences, warning that such thinking misunderstands political realities in the region.
“I think if we toy with changing the construct of what we have now, it is a problem. People who suggest otherwise may not fully understand how politics works in the north,” she said.
