2027: APC North-East Crisis Over Tinubu-Shettima Ticket Reveals Party Divisions Ahead of Election

As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 presidential election, the alliance between President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima is facing unexpected challenges within their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). A recent stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe State ended in violent clashes, exposing a rift over Shettima’s inclusion as Tinubu’s running mate.

The meeting aimed to consolidate support for Tinubu’s re-election bid but quickly deteriorated when Mustapha Salihu, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), failed to mention Shettima in his endorsement speech. Salihu said, “We have no business not supporting this party with all the juicy appointments and responsibilities given to us by this government,” and called for the zonal executive committee to endorse Tinubu as the sole candidate for 2027.

This omission triggered a backlash from delegates who loudly chanted Shettima’s name and physically confronted Salihu. One supporter struck him with a chair while another threw a bucket, forcing security to intervene.

Delegates from Borno State and other parts of the North-East expressed outrage, viewing the omission as a deliberate attempt to sideline their region’s Vice President. “It’s an insult to the entire region that our own son, the Vice President, was not even mentioned,” said a Borno delegate.

Despite the turmoil, the governors of Yobe, Borno, and Gombe had all voiced strong support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. Governor Muhammadu Yahaya remarked, “The North-East is fully behind the President and the Vice President. Their leadership has brought renewed hope to this region.”

However, the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, in his closing remarks, avoided explicitly endorsing Shettima, emphasizing unity and discipline but stopping short of confirming the joint ticket. “We have a progressive President… and we are proud of his deputy, his Vice President, it is one ticket according to the Constitution,” Ganduje said.

His statement failed to appease delegates, some of whom threatened to defect to the opposition PDP led by Atiku Abubakar if Shettima were dropped. “If Shettima is dropped, I will personally lead my people to vote for Atiku,” warned a party leader from Adamawa State.

The meeting ended in disarray, with dignitaries departing amid commotion and police firing teargas to disperse crowds outside. Observers warn that the incident reveals serious internal divisions that could jeopardize APC’s electoral strength in the North-East.

Insiders disclosed that while most North-East APC leaders, including Senate Chief Whip M.T. Monguno and Deputy National Chairman Alhaji Bukar Dalori, support the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, Mustapha Salihu’s failure to endorse Shettima has fueled speculation of factionalism.

The APC’s National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, dismissed the rumors as unfounded and affirmed the strong partnership between Tinubu and Shettima, calling the controversy “political noise.”

This episode follows the recent national endorsement of Tinubu as the APC’s sole presidential candidate for 2027 by governors and party leaders, but it underscores emerging challenges within the party’s ranks ahead of the election.