ABUJA—A stakeholders’ meeting of the North-East chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, ended abruptly, following the exclusion of Vice President Kashim Shettima from a motion endorsing President Bola Tinubu for a second-term ticket in 2027.
Different zonal chapters of the party had recently endorsed the president’s second-term ambition, but the North-East meeting became rowdy, yesterday, in Gombe State, after the Zonal Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, declared President Tinubu as the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
As tensions escalated, some governors and the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, had to be spirited out of the venue by their security details.
Attempts by the Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori, to calm frayed nerves, by including the vice president in his own remarks, however, failed.
Ganduje, in his speech, also announced the endorsement of Tinubu without mentioning Shettima.
A source told Vanguard: “The governor of Gombe State was not in support of the joint ticket, but could not summon the courage to openly oppose it as the host.
But Usman Kumo, Chief Whip of the House and member representing Kumo Federal Constituency from Gombe State, endorsed the ticket on behalf of the North-East House of Representatives Caucus.
Senator M. T. Monguno, Chief Whip of the Senate, representing Borno North, endorsed the joint ticket on behalf of the Senate from the North-East, while Ali Bukar Dalori, Deputy National Chairman (North), spoke on behalf of other National Working Committee, NWC, members from the North-East.
“It is pertinent to mention that it was only Mustapha Salihu who spoke against the ticket, while the four NWC members from the North-East all supported the joint ticket.
“Those NWC members who supported the joint ticket were Dalori; Mohammad Ali Kumo (Deputy Financial Secretary, Gombe State); Zainab Ibrahim (Deputy Women Leader, Taraba State); and Abubakar Maikafi (National Auditor, Bauchi State).”
There have been speculations in recent months that the president may drop his vice president for either a Christian from the same North-East or another Muslim from the North-West as part of a strategic calculation to win over the North in the next election.
Vanguard recalls that only on May 29, the North-East chapter of the party passed a vote of confidence in Vice President Kashim Shettima, praising President Tinubu for his cordial relationship with the region and for appointing Malam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser (NSA).
National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the APC, Comrade Mustapha Salihu, spoke on behalf of some stakeholders at an event to present two Adamawa youths who rode bicycles for 14 days from Yola to Abuja in commemoration of the president’s anniversary.
He said the ride also reflected the president’s remarkable achievements in security, noting that there was a time when it was difficult to travel from Yola to Abuja by road.
At the event, Salihu was asked to respond to speculations about Shettima’s fate as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027.
He said: “Governance is not done on social media or in newspapers. So, we cannot glorify rumours of any planned substitution of the vice president.”
The president has done a lot for our zone by giving us the vice president, the NSA, and others.
“Mr. President saw a lot of merit in picking his vice, and we are grateful for that. We reaffirm our confidence in the vice president.”
VANGUARD.
