Commotion as APC Stakeholders Endorse Tinubu, Silent on Shettima for 2027 Election

*NE, NW, NC zones battle for running mate

*Govs, national assembly, NWC caucuses prefer Tinubu-Shettima ticket

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe 

There was palpable tension, yesterday, as Northeast consultative stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election but was silent on the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima.

Unfortunately, this development ended the meeting in physical attacks over exclusion of Shettima in the proposed joint ticket for the 2027 general election.

The three zones of the Northern region – the Northwest Northeast and northcentral – appear to be in strong contention for the nation’s number two seat in the 2027 elections.

While the Northwest thinks it always churns out the highest votes in every election and therefore deserves it, the northeast’s argument is that they deserve the right of first refusal, having run the first term with the president in 2023.

But the central is of the view that it is the zone in the north that has always been handed the short end of the stick in every election permutation, despite always giving its all,  and therefore demands a compensation with the number two seat in 2027.

Fortunately, for Shettima, all the three Northeast All Progressives Congress (APC) governors. – Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State and the host, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State – concluded their speeches endorsing the joint ticket with Shettima as running mate to Tinubu in 2027 election.

In addition, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC and the National Assembly caucus of the party also endorsed the joint ticket of Tinubu-Shettima for the 2027 elections.

Yet, trouble started when the National Vice Chairman of the APC in the Northeast zone, Comrade Mustapha Salihu, did not mention Shettima in the joint ticket during his speech. 

A majority of the delegates in the hall started shouting Shettima! Shettima!! Shettima!!!

Salihu could barely finish his speech when he was physically confronted on stage by one of the diehard supporters of Shettima causing commotion with chairs being thrown from one end of the hall to the other in the presence of dignitaries, party stalwarts and delegates.

This had quickly caused pandemonium in the entire hall of the International Conference Centre, Gombe, venue of the meeting.

The commotion which lasted over twenty minutes could not be fully calmed even when the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, concluded his speech without categorically mentioning Shettima on the joint ticket.

He, however, appealed for more unity stressing that the party was highly interested in the northeast. 

According to him, the party got 1.2 million votes during the 2023 presidential election and expects over a triple of that in 2027.

However, another account claimed that Governor  Yahaya was actually not in support of the joint ticket but could not summon the courage to openly oppose it as the host.

According to him, Hon. Usman Kumo, Chief Whip of the House, representing Kumo Federal Constituency, from Gombe State, endorsed the ticket on behalf of the North-East House of Reps Caucus.

From the senate, 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 Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, Deputy National Chairman (North) spoke on behalf of the other National Working Committee (NWC) members from the North East.

“It is pertinent to mention that it was only Comrade Mustapha Salihu that spoke against the ticket while the four members of the NWC from the North-East had all supported the Joint Ticket.

“Those NWC members, who supported the joint ticket were Dalori, Mohammad Ali Kumo (Deputy Financial Secretary, from Gombe State); Zainab Ibrahim (Deputy Women Leader, from Taraba State); and Abubakar Maikafi (National Auditor, from Bauchi State).”

At this point, it became clear that there might be a grand design to replace Shettima in 2027 by a faction of the party, making many delegates to start shouting “no Shettima, no APC northeast.”

Some also vowed to go with Atiku Abubakar if Tinubu or the party dumped Shettima in 2027.

The commotion resulted in many dignitaries including past and present governors, past and present ministers, senators, House of Representative members, party stalwarts from the northeast and beyond leaving the hall unceremoniously.

This crisis has further established cracks within the APC in the northeast zone, and capable of causing many political alignments and realignments in the coming weeks or months ahead of the 2027 elections.

Even outside the hall, the Police had to use teargas when tensions heightened forcing many to flee from the venue.