Why Tinubu wants to replace Shettima in 2027

President Bola Tinubu is reportedly considering dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2027 presidential election.

According to insiders in the All Progressives Congress (APC), the move is said to be part of a plan to boost the party’s strength in areas where support is fading.

The talk of a possible replacement gained attention on Sunday during the APC North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe.

What began as a gathering to unite the region quickly turned into a heated scene.

Tensions rose after APC National Vice Chairman for the North-East, Mustapha Salihu, ended his speech supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid but failed to mention Shettima.

That silence angered many in the crowd.

A video from the event showed attendees shouting Shettima’s name loudly before a brawl broke out.

One person climbed the stage and hit Salihu with a chair, while another threw a plastic bucket at him.

Security personnel had to intervene and escort him away.

Later, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje also spoke but did not mention the Vice President.

His omission added to the frustration of Shettima’s supporters, who began chanting that the APC would not survive in the North-East without Shettima.

Several party members revealed that Tinubu is still considering the best political move for 2027.

The plan, they said, is aimed at adjusting to political realities in some parts of the country where the APC has lost ground.

While no decision has been made, insiders admitted that removing Shettima might cause trouble in the North-East, a region that gave Tinubu strong backing during the 2023 elections and sees the Vice President as its main voice in the current administration.

‘Why Shettima Was Omitted During Tinubu Endorsement’

The All Progressives Congress (APC) vice chairman for the north-east, Mustapha Salihu, has revealed why he endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term without mentioning Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

Speaking on television, Salihu said the party’s constitution allows only the endorsement of a presidential candidate during primary season.

He explained that running mates are selected after a candidate wins the party’s ticket and that it is up to the candidate to choose who will run with him.

“In party politics, we have only one ticket for the executive [arms of government]: for the local government chairman, the governor and the president,” the APC chieftain said.

“No party constitution allows a candidate to go into the primary with a running mate. Only one ticket that is for the president. It is only after the president becomes a candidate that he will pick a running mate, which will be his prerogative.”