Chaos Erupts At APC North-East Meeting Over Tinubu-Shettima Endorsement For 2027.
A highly anticipated All Progressives Congress (APC) North-East Consultative Meeting in Gombe descended into chaos on Sunday, 15 June 2025, as party stakeholders clashed over the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for a second term in the 2027 general elections.
The meeting, attended by prominent figures including Governors Babagana Zulum of Borno, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, and Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, alongside thousands of party members, was meant to solidify support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. However, tensions flared when Comrade Mustapha Salihu, the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), endorsed President Tinubu as the party’s unopposed candidate for 2027 without mentioning Vice President Shettima, a native of Borno State. This omission sparked immediate outrage among delegates, some of whom hurled insults and threatened physical confrontation, forcing security personnel to escort Salihu from the venue.
In an attempt to quell the unrest, Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori, took to the podium and explicitly endorsed both Tinubu and Shettima for a second term, a move that drew cheers from some attendees. However, the atmosphere remained charged, and the situation deteriorated further when APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, in his closing remarks, also failed to acknowledge Shettima while endorsing Tinubu. This prompted renewed boos and chants of “No Shettima, no APC North-East” from the crowd, with some delegates vowing to support opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar if Shettima is sidelined in 2027.
The unrest underscored simmering tensions within the APC, particularly in the North-East, where Shettima is a prominent figure. Governor Zulum, who led a protest against the exclusion of Shettima, had earlier praised the Tinubu-Shettima administration for its achievements in health, education, and economic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Despite the chaos, some party stakeholders, including Shettima’s aide, Comrade Mahmud Muhammad, expressed gratitude to North-East youths and governors for their support of the joint ticket.
The meeting’s abrupt end has fuelled speculation of a deliberate move by some party factions to replace Shettima with a Christian northerner to balance religious dynamics in the 2027 election. Such a strategy, political analysts suggest, could broaden Tinubu’s electoral appeal but risks alienating the North-East, a key APC stronghold that contributed 1.2 million votes in 2023.
Posts on X reflected the public’s reaction, with some users describing the incident as evidence of “deep cracks” within the APC, predicting that the party could “implode” if internal rifts are not addressed. Others expressed dismay at the disarray, with one user lamenting, “It’s not my pleasure to see my party in disarray.”
Despite the controversy, some reports highlighted that the North-East APC formally endorsed the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, citing their “transformational leadership.” However, the chaotic scenes at the Gombe meeting have cast a shadow over the party’s unity as it gears up for the 2027 elections.
As the dust settles, the APC faces the challenge of mending internal divisions and clarifying its stance on the Tinubu-Shettima ticket to maintain its grip on the North-East. With the 2027 elections still two years away, the party’s ability to unify its ranks will be crucial to its electoral prospects.