Despite rising agitations and political permutations suggesting President Bola Tinubu might drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate in 2027, authoritative sources have insisted that the president has no such plan.
A senior Villa insider, speaking to THISDAY on Sunday, described the speculations as unfounded. “The president will run with Shettima. You can file it away. Stop worrying about the rumour. He will,” the source declared.
Dismissing fears about Shettima’s future and the ruling party’s electoral chances, the official added: “We (the APC) are winning the next election is all I know. Walahi!”
The reassurance follows weeks of tension within the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in the North-east, where some stakeholders have expressed fears of marginalisation.
In June, the APC North-east zonal leadership endorsed Tinubu for a second term at a meeting in Gombe State but pointedly omitted Shettima’s name. APC National Vice Chairman for North-east, Mustapha Saliu, who led the endorsement, praised Tinubu but made no reference to the vice president.
“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 adopt the endorsement earlier done by the National Working Committee that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is endorsed to be sole candidate for the 2027 election,” Saliu told delegates.
The omission sparked chaos, with angry delegates hurling insults, chairs, and objects at the podium, forcing security operatives to whisk him away.
Former APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, also fuelled the uproar by endorsing only Tinubu in his remarks. Though he vaguely acknowledged Shettima by saying, “We are proud of his deputy, his vice president, it is one ticket according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the crowd responded with chants of “No Shettima, no APC in the North-east.”
Sensing the danger, Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori, moved quickly to endorse both Tinubu and Shettima. But the damage had been done, as delegates threatened to defect en masse to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if Shettima were sidelined.
One delegate from Borno, Shettima’s home state, 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.”
Another from Adamawa warned: “If Shettima is dropped, I will personally lead my people to vote for Atiku. We won’t be taken for granted.”
To calm the crisis, the governors of Yobe, Borno, and Gombe—Mai Mala Buni, Babagana Zulum, and Muhammadu Yahaya—publicly backed the Tinubu–Shettima ticket. Speaking for the group, Yahaya declared: “The North-east is fully behind the president and the vice president. Their leadership has brought renewed hope to this region.”
Observers say the crisis has exposed deep internal divisions within the APC. Political analyst James Abass, who witnessed the Gombe meeting, 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.”
Amid the unease, Shettima himself appeared to send a message of discontent. At a public reception in Akwa Ibom for Governor Umo Eno’s defection to APC, the vice president shook hands with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Eno but conspicuously skipped Ganduje, who stood next in line.
The public snub heightened speculation of a rift, but the Villa insider’s assurance suggests Tinubu remains committed to Shettima as his running mate in 2027.
Olawale Olaleye
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