The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing mounting internal unrest after a controversial move by its top leaders to endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027—without naming Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate.
Tensions reached a boiling point on Sunday during the party’s North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, where Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum led a protest against what he called a “deliberate slight” against the region’s most senior figure in government.
The endorsement, spearheaded by APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and North-East Vice Chairman Mustapha Salihu, failed to mention Shettima, a former Borno State governor, sparking outrage among delegates.
The chaos forced security personnel to whisk Ganduje and Salihu out of the venue under tight protection.
According to observers, the fallout could widen cracks in the party, especially in the North-East bloc.
“The beginning of APC’s downfall has just begun,” political analyst Abdul-Aziz Na’ibi Abubakar posted on X, referencing Zulum’s visible displeasure over Shettima’s exclusion.
The backlash followed last month’s declaration at the APC national summit in Abuja, where Ganduje anointed Tinubu as the party’s sole 2027 candidate—again without clarifying the fate of Shettima.
Sources close to the North-East caucus suggest growing fears that Shettima may be sidelined in the lead-up to the next election cycle, despite his loyalty and pivotal role in the Tinubu-Shettima ticket that secured victory in 2023.
Meanwhile, the President’s recent Democracy Day jab at opposition parties—“It’s my pleasure to see you in disarray”—has taken on new meaning, as critics point to signs of disunity within Tinubu’s own party.
Unless swiftly addressed, insiders warn the controversy could trigger deeper fractures in the APC, just two years to the next general election.