2027: APC FORUM WARNS TINUBU AS TALKS OF DROPPING SHETTIMA GATHER MOMENTUM
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has strongly opposed renewed moves to replace Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that such a move would amount to a grave political miscalculation.
Speculation over Shettima’s political future resurfaced after his image was omitted from a banner displayed at the North-East Zonal Public Hearing on the proposed amendment of the APC constitution in Maiduguri. The banner featured President Tinubu, five APC governors from the zone and the party’s national legal adviser, but excluded the Vice President.
The omission has reignited debate within the ruling party over the sustainability of the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027, with some stakeholders calling for Shettima to be replaced by a Christian from the North. Groups from the North-Central have also joined the conversation, urging the party to consider the region for the vice-presidential slot.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, the North-Central APC Forum dismissed the agitation, warning that dropping Shettima would pose serious risks to the party and potentially undermine President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The Forum clarified that the North-Central is not seeking the vice-presidential position, stressing that its focus is on the presidency in 2031, after Tinubu’s tenure.
Cautioning against injecting religious sentiment into political calculations, the Forum argued that the North currently lacks a Christian candidate with sufficient grassroots reach, national appeal and political structure capable of strengthening Tinubu’s electoral prospects.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the Forum warned that abandoning the Muslim-Muslim ticket would play into the hands of the opposition.
“There is serious danger in tampering with a winning ticket. We totally and unequivocally reject calls to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in 2027,” the statement said. “We strongly advise the President and party leaders not to heed such calls, as doing so would result in a costly political miscalculation.”
The Forum further alleged that those pushing for Shettima’s replacement do not have the party’s best interests at heart, insisting that such actors contributed little or nothing to Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 election.
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Analyzing voting patterns in the North, the Forum argued that replacing Shettima would not attract new votes for Tinubu. Instead, it warned that such a move could alienate core northern supporters and reduce the President’s electoral base.
It added that even if an opposition coalition backed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were to field Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in 2027, dropping Shettima would not significantly sway minority votes in the North, many of which would still align with Obi regardless of Tinubu’s choice of running mate.
According to the Forum, maintaining the status quo remains the safest electoral strategy for the APC.
“Those calling for the abandonment of the Muslim-Muslim ticket largely did not vote for President Tinubu in 2023 and are unlikely to do so in 2027, even if Shettima is replaced,” the statement added. “Basic political analysis shows that dropping Shettima is not only unnecessary but dangerous.”
Addressing claims that international actors, particularly Western powers, may be uncomfortable with the Muslim-Muslim ticket, the Forum insisted that Nigeria’s political decisions must remain sovereign and independent.
“The Muslim-Muslim ticket delivered victory in 2023. Nigeria is a sovereign nation and will not take instructions from external forces,” the Forum said, warning that foreign interference could destabilise the country’s democratic process.
Calls for Shettima’s replacement first gained prominence in July 2025, when the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, publicly endorsed Tinubu for a second term at a stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe without mentioning the Vice President.
The move reportedly sparked outrage, with Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum allegedly mobilising supporters to disrupt the event. Former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and Salihu were later escorted out of the venue under heavy security as protests erupted.
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