Youth leaders within the All Progressives Congress from Nigeria’s North-East region have issued a stern warning against any attempts to remove Vice President Kashim Shettima from the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
The APC Youth Parliament North-East Zone cautioned that replacing Shettima could severely undermine party cohesion and jeopardize President Bola Tinubu’s re-election prospects.
During a Friday press conference in Bauchi, the group’s chairman, Kabiru Kobi, characterized ongoing speculation about the Vice President’s potential substitution as “a dangerous rumour capable of destabilising the APC.”
The youth organization declared unwavering support for the current Tinubu-Shettima partnership, describing both leaders as proven performers capable of navigating national challenges.
“We want to state it unequivocally clear that any attempt to reconfigure the joint ticket of His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Kashim Shettima in 2027 will only bring resentment that could linger beyond the elections, with negative reverberations capable of affecting the party’s success,” Kobi declared.
He drew parallels to the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2015 electoral defeat, attributing it partially to internal conflicts that weakened the party’s campaign effectiveness.
“It is far from hidden that the ghost of the PDP’s past actions still haunts the party today — history has little patience for those who choose to ignore its lessons,” the chairman observed.
Kobi went further to suggest that efforts to replace Shettima represent a broader strategy targeting President Tinubu’s political strength rather than genuine concerns about the Vice President’s performance.
“At this juncture, we wish to inform His Excellency, our popular and charismatic leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the calculated attacks are not truly aimed at the Vice President but at you,” he stated.
The youth leader alleged that potential conspirators hope to exploit Shettima’s reportedly conciliatory nature to create political difficulties for the President.
“What these assailants are trying to achieve by this hypocrisy is to replace Kashim Shettima with someone of a fragile political reputation,” Kobi claimed. “They know fully well that the Vice President would pacify his supporters to leave everything to God, and that would leave you to face the wrath of the Nigerian populace.”
The group committed to continued mobilization efforts supporting the current leadership arrangement and called for party-wide unity as the 2027 elections approach.
Kobi expressed particular concern about emerging internal tensions within the APC, warning that such divisions could destabilize the party before the next electoral cycle.
The youth parliament concluded by praising President Tinubu’s leadership, specifically acknowledging his willingness to implement challenging economic reforms despite potential political costs.
