2027: Fear Tinubu may drop Shettima as VP fuel chaos at APC North East confrerence

By Ologeh Joseph Chibu

Despite the 2027 general elections being two years away, a reported plot to exclude Vice President Kashim Shettima from President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ticket is causing deep divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in the North-East zone.

A stakeholders’ meeting of the party held on Sunday at the International Conference Centre in Gombe State descended into chaos after supporters of the Vice President clashed with the party’s Zonal Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu.

There are speculations that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may drop Shettima in preference for another candidate from the North.

Irohinoodua obtained a now-viral video, where a visibly agitated party member was seen striking Salihu with a plastic chair, forcing him to flee the venue. Another delegate hurled a black plastic bucket at him as tension flared.

Some party members claim that some power brokers in the North West are putting pressure on the Presidency to drop Shettima.

The current Vice President is of Kanuri stock from Bornu State. One source said some Fulani leaders in the North West are jostling for a shift from the North East to the North West.

But the Presidency has dismissed any row or dispute between the President and his deputy.

“There is no plan to drop Shettima. It’s all speculations. The President and the Vice President have the best of relationship. There is not discord between them,” one Presidency source told Irohinoodua.

The meeting had originally been convened to consolidate support for President Tinubu’s anticipated 2027 second-term bid. However, it took a dramatic turn after Salihu, in his speech, failed to mention Vice President Shettima as part of the proposed joint ticket.

“We have no business not supporting this party with all the juicy appointments and responsibilities given to us by this government,” Salihu declared during his address. “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.”

His remarks sparked an immediate backlash from delegates, who began chanting “Shettima! Shettima!! Shettima!!!” in protest. Eyewitnesses reported that the situation quickly turned violent, with chairs being thrown and security operatives forced to intervene to restore order.

Attempts by Deputy National Chairman (North), Alhaji Bukar Dalori, to calm the agitated crowd proved unsuccessful.

“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,” said an enraged delegate from Borno State.

Prior to the disruption, governors of the three APC-controlled states in the North-East — Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe) — had expressed support for a Tinubu-Shettima ticket during their separate addresses.

Despite those endorsements, tensions were further inflamed when APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, also avoided directly confirming Shettima’s place on the 2027 ticket during his closing remarks.

“We need unity more than ever. This region delivered over 1.2 million votes in 2023. In 2027, we expect three times that. But we must remain focused and disciplined as a party,” Ganduje stated.

He added, “This zone has produced the number two of this country, we are proud of this zone, we are proud of the North and we are proud of Nigeria as a nation. I have to tell you, we have a progressive President, the leader of our party Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and we are proud of his deputy, his Vice President, it is one ticket according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

However, his assurances failed to pacify the crowd. Delegates continued chanting “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East,” while some threatened to defect to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if Shettima is dropped from the 2027 ticket.

The incident underscores growing internal frictions within the APC and highlights the sensitive dynamics ahead of the 2027 election, particularly in a region considered crucial to the party’s electoral fortunes.