The details of a meeting between top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North-East have emerged.
The meeting held at the International Conference Centre in Gombe has revealed the growing internal disagreements over the party’s 2027 ticket.
The session, which was meant to solidify support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, ended in chaos after Vice President Kashim Shettima was left out in a motion endorsing the president.
The meeting had in attendance key party officials, governors, senators, and members of the House of Representatives who gathered to show unity ahead of the next general election.
However, the gathering turned violent when the party’s National Vice Chairman for the North-East, Mustapha Salihu, endorsed Tinubu without mentioning Shettima as his running mate.
The omission angered several delegates, especially those from Borno State, Shettima’s home state.
Tensions quickly rose as some members began shouting the vice president’s name, accusing the party leadership of trying to push him out of the 2027 plan.
In a viral video from the event, an aggrieved supporter was seen hitting Salihu with a chair while others hurled objects at him before security officials intervened.
Party insiders said the uproar started when Salihu asked zonal executives to endorse Tinubu as the sole candidate for 2027 without acknowledging Shettima’s role.
Attempts by Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori, to calm the situation by later mentioning Shettima failed to restore order.
Before the drama, governors Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe) had separately expressed support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
However, the fact that Yahaya, who hosted the meeting, didn’t directly endorse Shettima raised more suspicions among delegates.
While the Gombe governor spoke positively of Tinubu’s administration, his silence on Shettima left many uneasy.
The party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, also avoided clearly stating Shettima’s position in his speech, further fueling the crisis.
His general remarks about unity and pride in the region’s leadership did little to calm angry members who chanted “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East.”
Some even threatened to back former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the opposition if the current vice president is dropped from the 2027 ticket.
Sources said only Salihu openly opposed the joint ticket during the meeting.
Four other National Working Committee members from the zone—Dalori, Mohammad Kumo, Zainab Ibrahim, and Abubakar Maikafi—reportedly backed the Tinubu-Shettima pairing.
Outside the venue, police fired teargas to disperse protesters who had gathered after the meeting collapsed.
Some governors and senior party figures had to be hurriedly escorted out for safety.
While the presidency and APC officials later dismissed the claims of an attempt to replace Shettima, the episode has stirred wider concerns about the party’s internal unity.
Supporters of the vice president have warned against any move to sideline him, calling such action a betrayal of the North-East, which delivered strong votes for the APC in 2023.
Some even threatened to shift allegiance to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, should the party proceed with dropping Shettima from the ticket.
The incident has added fuel to growing rumours that the APC might replace Vice President Shettima with a Christian Northerner in 2027 to balance religious representation on the ticket.
Former House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, is reportedly being considered, although no official announcement has been made.
