Tension gripped Sunday’s All Progressives Congress North‑East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe after delegates threatened to back former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if current Vice President Kashim Shettima is removed from President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 ticket.
The gathering at the International Conference Centre was intended to reaffirm support for Mr. Tinubu’s second‑term bid, but erupted in chaos when Zonal Vice Chairman Mustapha Salihu concluded his speech without mentioning Shettima. Video footage showed an enraged party member hurling a chair at Salihu as he fled the stage, while another delegate lobbed a plastic bucket in protest.
Salihu had told the audience, “We have no business not supporting this party with all the juicy appointments and responsibilities given to us by this government. I would want all members of the zonal executive committee to stand up so that we will do the proper endorsement, because it is the zonal executive committee that holds the ticket. 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.”
The omission prompted a chorus of “Shettima! Shettima! Shettima!” and swift intervention by security operatives. “It’s an insult to the entire region that our own son, the Vice President, was not even mentioned,” fumed a Borno delegate. “This is a calculated attempt to sideline Shettima, and we will resist it with everything we have.”
Before the fracas, the governors of Yobe, Borno and Gombe—Mai Mala Buni, Babagana Zulum and Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya—had each voiced their backing for the Tinubu‑Shettima ticket. Governor Yahaya declared, “The North‑East is fully behind the President and the Vice President. Their leadership has brought renewed hope to this region.”
According to NEWS WEEK NIGERIA, Despite show of unity, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje’s closing remarks failed to quell anger. Though he acknowledged Shettima—“we are proud of his deputy, his Vice President, it is one ticket according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”—many delegates remained unconvinced and chanted, “No Shettima, no APC in the North‑East.”
Several threatened mass defection to the Peoples Democratic Party. “If Shettima is dropped, I will personally lead my people to vote for Atiku,” warned an Adamawa chieftain. “We won’t be taken for granted.”
The meeting ended abruptly as dignitaries exited amid shouts and chairs being thrown. Outside, police deployed teargas to disperse hundreds of agitated party faithful. An eyewitness, James Abass, warned, “This is more than just a misunderstanding. It’s a sign of serious internal divisions within the ruling party that could trigger mass defections or the rise of a counter‑movement if not urgently addressed.”
A source familiar with the zonal working committee disclosed that all North‑East NWC members—except Mustapha Salihu—had formally supported Tinubu and Shettima. The lone dissenting voice, the source said, was Salihu himself, against four colleagues who backed the joint ticket.
Fresh Details Emerge as Tinubu Moves to Shun Six Politicians, Retain Shettima as VP for 2027
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is reportedly determined to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima, shutting out proposals to replace him with any of six northern politicians currently being touted within the ruling party.
Tinubu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is expected to run for a second and final tenure in 2027.
Sources within the Presidency have confirmed that Tinubu has no intention of dumping Shettima, despite persistent lobbying and strategic moves by some power blocs in the North.
Among those allegedly considered as potential replacements are former Zamfara State governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago; Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani; Governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya; and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Party insiders claim the President has come under pressure to reshuffle the ticket for strategic political balancing. Supporters of Ribadu argue that positioning him as Vice President would prepare him for a northern presidential bid in 2031, while Yari’s close relationship with Tinubu and his consistent defence of the administration are said to fuel his consideration.
Similarly, Dogara, a northern Christian, is being projected as a religious counterweight to appease Christian blocs and temper the concerns surrounding the continuation of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Meanwhile, the governors — Bago, Sani, and Yahaya — are reportedly favoured by some party leaders for what they describe as “brilliant performance” in their respective states, which has boosted the party’s popularity at the grassroots level.
However, insiders in Aso Rock insist that President Tinubu is unmoved by these suggestions and sees no reason to abandon his trusted deputy.
Recall earlier that the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed rumours of a cold war between Tinubu and Shettima.
“It is only when the President is elected at the party’s primaries that he would announce a running mate,” Onanuga said, adding that the conversation around a vice-presidential change is premature and unfounded.
Meanwhile, a top Presidency source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Vanguard that the President values Shettima’s loyalty, competence, and political influence.
“President Tinubu will not risk dropping Shettima in 2027. The Vice President is an asset to him. First and foremost, he has a formidable structure. Remember he was the first to support President Tinubu before the All Progressives Congress,” the source said.
The official recalled how Shettima stood firm during internal APC plots to derail Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition.
“There was a conspiracy among some party members to stop Tinubu from contesting the party primaries but Shettima stood solidly with him and openly supported him,” the source noted. “You can also remember the time he described the former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo an ice cream seller and he was even the Director General of the Tinubu’s campaign and formed the nucleus for his election. Since his emergence as the Vice President, he has been loyal to his boss. Remember loyalty is one of the cardinal considerations in politics.”
On Shettima’s leadership qualities, the source added: “He has not failed in any assignment given to him by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. President Tinubu is one of the smartest politicians around and he knows what he wants.”
The Vice President is also lauded for his nationalistic stance and crisis management skills. One example frequently cited is his intervention in the North-South ethnic tension when some northern youths issued a quit notice to Igbo residents.
“He rallied round the Southeast leaders to ensure issues were sorted out amicably,” the source said.
Presidency sources further believe that the attempt to unseat Shettima is being driven by political lightweights.
“Some persons who do not have any political structure and cannot win an election in their wards are behind the scheming to drop Shettima because of their selfish interest,” the source claimed.
Another factor believed to be strengthening Shettima’s position is the close working relationship between the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Vice President’s wife, Hajia Nana Shettima.
Their collaboration under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) — a pet project of the First Lady — is said to have generated considerable goodwill for the administration, especially among women and vulnerable groups across the country.
Hajia Shettima is considered a key pillar of the programme and is often seen at public functions alongside the First Lady.
“Senator Oluremi Tinubu is very comfortable working with Hajia Shettima,” a source said. “That closeness is part of the synergy giving the federal government goodwill and support across many parts of the country.”
