Chaos erupted at a North-East stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Gombe on Sunday as angry delegates violently protested the omission of Vice President Kashim Shettima from an endorsement speech for the 2027 presidential ticket.
The meeting, initially organized to demonstrate regional support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, descended into mayhem when APC National Vice Chairman for North-East, Mustapha Salihu, failed to mention Shettima while endorsing the president for 2027.
Salihu had stated: “We want to reaffirm and also adopt the endorsement earlier done by the National Working Committee, that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is endorsed to be a sole candidate for the 2027 election.”
The conspicuous absence of any reference to the Vice President triggered immediate outrage among delegates who began chanting “Shettima! Shettima!!” before violence broke out. Viral footage showed Salihu being attacked on stage with chairs and other objects, including a plastic bucket, as he attempted to flee the angry crowd.
Security personnel were forced to deploy teargas to disperse the agitated delegates outside the venue, bringing the meeting to an abrupt end. Efforts by senior party officials, including Deputy National Chairman (North) Alhaji Bukar Dalori, to restore order proved futile.
A Borno State delegate, Usman Aliyu, expressed the region’s anger over what he described as a deliberate snub. “This is a slap on our faces,” Aliyu declared. “We expect to have one voice. We’ll issue a communiqué reaffirming Tinubu and Shettima’s candidacy.”
Another Borno delegate issued a stern warning: “It’s an insult to the entire region that our own son, the Vice President, was not even mentioned. We will resist this attempt to sideline Shettima.”
The tensions escalated to threats of defection, with some delegates warning they would support opposition candidates if Shettima is dropped from the 2027 ticket. An APC chieftain from Adamawa reportedly declared: “If Shettima is dropped, I will personally lead my people to vote for Atiku.”
Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, who hosted the event and chairs the APC North-East Governors’ Forum, also faced criticism for delivering what delegates perceived as a lukewarm speech that praised Tinubu without explicitly endorsing Shettima’s inclusion on the ticket.
APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje attempted damage control but offered only vague reassurances about Shettima’s position. “This zone has produced the number two of this country… We are proud of the North and we are proud of Nigeria as a nation,” Ganduje stated. “We are proud of the Vice President. It is one ticket according to the Constitution.”
However, his comments failed to satisfy delegates who continued chanting “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East!”
Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, APC National Vice Chairman for South-East, attempted to downplay the controversy, telling journalists: “There’s a solid working relationship between President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima. These rumours are distractions.”
A source at the meeting revealed that Salihu was the sole dissenting voice among the region’s National Working Committee members. “Only Comrade Mustapha Salihu spoke against the ticket. All four other NWC members from the North-East supported the joint ticket,” the source disclosed.
Despite efforts to contain the crisis, speculation continues about potential moves by certain power blocs to replace Shettima with what some describe as a more “influential” northern politician for the 2027 elections.
Political analyst James Abass warned of deeper implications for party unity. “This is more than a misunderstanding. It’s a sign of serious internal divisions within the APC,” Abass observed. “The North-East sees Shettima as their political symbol, and any attempt to sideline him may backfire.”
The incident has exposed growing fault lines within the ruling party, with analysts suggesting that failure to address these tensions could lead to significant defections or internal rebellion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
