President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may be considering replacing Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, according to insider sources within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sources say the move is part of a larger political strategy aimed at boosting support in regions where Tinubu currently faces resistance. The speculation reached a fever pitch over the weekend during the APC North-East stakeholders’ meeting held in Gombe, which was supposed to demonstrate unity among party leaders but instead ended in chaos.
Eyewitnesses told Punch that tensions erupted after APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, endorsed Tinubu for a second term during his remarks but failed to mention Vice President Shettima. The omission did not go unnoticed and sparked outrage among party members from the region.
In a now-viral video from the event, furious attendees can be heard chanting “Shettima! Shettima!!” in protest. The situation quickly escalated when one angry supporter stormed the stage and attacked Salihu with a chair. Another threw a plastic bucket at him as he was escorted out of the venue by security.
The drama didn’t end there. APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, also avoided mentioning Shettima in his closing speech, further fueling suspicions and unrest. The crowd once again erupted in protest, chanting, “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East.”
According to APC insiders, the idea of replacing Shettima stems from political calculations, possibly aimed at realigning support in regions where the APC has grown weaker. One source compared it to Tinubu’s past political maneuvering in Lagos, describing it as part of a broader effort to secure victory in 2027.
“The President is weighing the options,” one party source told Punch. “Nothing is final yet, but it’s being discussed.”
However, any such move is likely to face strong resistance, especially from the North-East—a region that was instrumental in securing Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 elections. Shettima, who hails from Borno State, is seen as a key political figure and a major voice for the region.
With tensions rising and loyalty to Shettima running deep among North-East stakeholders, replacing him could risk alienating a crucial voting bloc.
For now, the discussions remain behind closed doors, but the backlash at the Gombe meeting suggests any attempt to drop Shettima from the 2027 ticket would be met with significant opposition within the party.
