From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
As Nigeria edges steadily towards the 2027 General Elections, fresh political tensions are already brewing within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). At the heart of the latest storm is a fierce debate within the North-East geopolitical zone regarding who should emerge as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in his anticipated re-election bid.
While a sizable bloc within the party continues to rally behind incumbent Vice President Kashim Shettima, a competing coalition of North-East APC support groups has thrown its weight behind former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as a preferred alternative, with others recommending candidates from the North-West and other parts of the region.
The growing agitation and split between loyalty and realignment came to the fore during the recent North-East APC Zonal Consultative Meeting held in Gombe. The meeting, which was intended to be a strategy session for party consolidation and forward planning, instead descended into chaos, reflecting the underlying power struggle threatening to erode the party’s cohesion ahead of the 2027 polls.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, a two-term former governor of Borno State, has long been considered a political asset within the APC. His emergence as Tinubu’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election helped consolidate support in the North-East and contributed to the party’s electoral victory. To many, retaining Shettima is a logical and stabilising strategy, especially because of his unalloyed loyalty to President Tinubu. However, recent events suggest that not all within the APC agree with this view.
At the Gombe gathering, while Governor of Borno State Babagana Zulum announced his endorsement of Tinubu and Kashim for a second term, others, including the national vice chairman of the party for the North-East, Mustapha Salihu, declared support and endorsed the president as the sole candidate of the party in the coming presidential election, an announcement that was perceived as a deliberate and calculated move to drop Shettima.
Shettima’s supporters argue that his retention as running mate is both a reward for loyalty and a strategic necessity. They point to his role in the North-East and his contributions to Tinubu’s 2023 campaign, especially among Northern political elites.
Additionally, many within the North-East view Shettima as a symbol of the region’s stake in national governance. Removing him could alienate a significant voter base and dampen regional enthusiasm for Tinubu’s second-term bid.
Political analysts also highlight the danger of altering a presidential ticket that already possesses proven electoral chemistry. “Changing a winning team for political expediency sends the wrong message. Tinubu/Shettima ticket was a carefully calibrated strategy. Tinkering with that now introduces avoidable risk,” a political analyst in Gombe, Dr. Kabiru Musa said.
Yet, the push for Dogara by a coalition of APC support groups in the North-East reflects deeper sentiments within the party, particularly in the North, and among those advocating for greater religious balance in the country’s leadership.
For his backers, Dogara, a Christian from Bauchi State and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, brings to the table broad national appeal, legislative experience, and a clean political slate unmarred by controversy. They argue that he represents a symbolic gesture toward inclusion and an attempt to address criticisms surrounding the Muslim-Muslim ticket that defined the 2023 election.
The coalition further argued that “the time has come for a more balanced ticket that reflects the diversity of Nigeria.” They claim that Dogara’s inclusion could soften the APC’s image in Christian-dominated regions and solidify votes from areas skeptical of the current power configuration.
The growing debate and call to retain Kashim or otherwise reveals more than individual ambitions, it exposes systemic cracks in the APC’s internal machinery. The rift over the vice-presidential slot is symptomatic of broader frustrations, regional interests, and ideological realignments. With competing coalitions of politicians and political parties plotting to unseat the APC in 2027, the ruling party can ill afford this show of disunity.
Party insiders worry that if left unchecked, the friction could lead to protest votes in favour of the opposition, defections, voter apathy, and weakened grassroots mobilisation. Indeed, the opposition is already seizing upon the internal confusion, among other reasons, to present itself as a more stable alternative.
“The APC appears to be in a self-inflicted tailspin. If this rift is not urgently managed, we may see a repeat of what happened to the PDP in 2015,” one APC strategist in Gombe who preferred anonymity told Daily Sun.
At stake is not just the vice-presidential slot but the broader future of the APC’s leadership structure. The party faces a delicate balancing act, juggling loyalty, political pragmatism, ethno-religious sentiments, and regional interests, while projecting unity and competence.
The coming months will test the mettle of the APC’s national leadership. President Tinubu will be expected to exercise strategic restraint and inclusive consultation in resolving the matter before facing the opposition and the voters. Whether through formal reconciliation processes or strategic reassignments, the party must craft a narrative of strength and solidarity before the opposition capitalises on its internal turbulence.
The North-East may be a stronghold for the ruling party, but as the events in Gombe have shown, strongholds can quickly become battlegrounds when ambition outweighs strategy. In the meantime, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had announced that the President will choose his 2027 running mate after the party’s next convention. However, the power struggles and lobbying have continued, especially in the North.
While the struggles continue, Gombe State Governor Muhammad Yahaya, during the chaotic North-East APC Zonal Consultative Meeting in Gombe, sounded a stark warning to party loyalists and stakeholders, urging members to exercise caution and stressing that internal conflicts and premature ambitions could derail the party’s chances in 2027.
“As a party, I would urge us to stand as one united big family, because of the experiences of the past. APC came and met PDP in government, and we fought and ousted PDP from power both at the national level and took control even at the subnational level. That was predicted because of the way and manner in which the PDP led the federal government for 16 years. As a result of dislocations, misallocation, and mismanagement, we took advantage, fought PDP, took power, and brought in President Buhari,” Governor Yahaya stated.
He further said, “I want us to show the world that we are one big family and that APC has come to stay. We should all go back home as APC members, look to our wards, gather and galvanise all the states that we can to face these daunting challenges.”
The governor’s remarks resonated with the realities currently confronting the party. As factions pull in different directions, the party leadership must now navigate a politically charged atmosphere laced with ethnic, religious, and strategic calculations.