Vice president Kashim Shettima and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have been jointly endorsed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders from Nigeria’s North-East for the 2027 presidential election.

The endorsement came during a high-level APC Consultative Summit held yesterday in Gombe State, which brought together delegates and party leaders from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states. Prominent attendees included Governors Babagana Zulum (Borno), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), and host Governor Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), as well as APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and former Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

The summit was convened to assess the region’s standing within the party and take a unified position ahead of the next general election. In their addresses, the three governors lauded the leadership of President Tinubu and the role of Vice President Shettima in advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of youth empowerment, infrastructure, and national cohesion.

They emphasised that the zone had benefitted significantly under the current administration and urged party members across the North to support the continuation of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for the sake of stability and development.

However, what began as a show of unity nearly unravelled midway through the event.

Tensions erupted after the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, in his speech, endorsed President Tinubu as the party’s 2027 candidate—without mentioning Vice President Shettima. The omission sparked instant protest from several delegates, particularly from Borno State, who viewed it as a slight against the vice president and a threat to regional unity.

Efforts by Governor Zulum to calm the agitated crowd proved ineffective, and the situation grew rowdy, forcing security personnel to intervene to restore order.

Calm returned after APC National Chairman Ganduje addressed the gathering and offered a more balanced message, explicitly praising both Tinubu and Shettima. His remarks were seen as a necessary correction and helped douse the tension.

This controversy mirrors a similar episode on May 22, when 22 APC governors publicly endorsed Tinubu for a second term but failed to mention Shettima. That move also drew criticism from within the party. Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South distanced himself from the endorsement, cautioning against overconfidence and citing former President Goodluck Jonathan’s failed 2015 re-election bid despite having the backing of 22 PDP governors.

“I pity President Tinubu,” Ndume said at the time, warning that premature endorsements do not always translate to victory.