Tensions Rise as Northeast APC Stakeholders Endorse Tinubu for 2027 Presidential Election Amid Contention Over Running Mate

Strategic Insights -

The recent Northeast consultative stakeholders' meeting in Gombe, Nigeria, has ended in a commotion over the exclusion of Vice-President Senator Kashim Shettima from the proposed joint ticket for the 2027 general election. The meeting, which endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, was marked by physical attacks on the National Vice Chairman of the APC in the Northeast zone, Comrade Mustapha Salihu, who did not mention Shettima in his speech. The incident highlights the intense competition for the nation's number two seat in the 2027 elections among the three zones of the Northern region.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Northeast APC stakeholders' meeting endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, but was silent on the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima.
  • The three zones of the Northern region - the Northwest, Northeast, and Northcentral - are in strong contention for the nation's number two seat in the 2027 elections.
  • The Northwest believes it always churns out the highest votes in every election and therefore deserves the number two seat, while the northeast argues for the right of first refusal.
  • The Northcentral region demands a compensation with the number two seat in 2027, citing its past marginalization in election permutations.
  • All three Northeast APC governors endorsed the joint ticket with Shettima as running mate to Tinubu in 2027 election, but National Vice Chairman Comrade Mustapha Salihu did not mention Shettima in his speech.
  • Salihu was physically confronted on stage, causing commotion and chaos in the hall, and many dignitaries, including past and present governors, ministers, and senators, left the hall unceremoniously.
  • The crisis has established cracks within the APC in the northeast zone, potentially causing alignments and realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.

Statistics:

  • 1.2 million votes: The number of votes the APC received in the Northeast during the 2023 presidential election.
  • Over a triple: The number of votes the APC expects to receive in the Northeast in the 2027 election.
  • 20 minutes: The duration of the commotion that ensued after Salihu was confronted on stage.
  • 4: The number of NWC members from the North East that supported the joint ticket, including Dalori, Mohammad Ali Kumo, Zainab Ibrahim, and Abubakar Maikafi.

Sources:

  • Daily Independent
  • The Nation