By Willies Ugo, Gombe
Gombe Nigeria – June 15, 2025
A Northeast stakeholders’ consultative meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held in Gombe on Sunday ended in chaos following heated disagreements over the possible exclusion of Vice President Kashim Shettima from the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
The meeting, convened at the International Conference Centre, Gombe, was aimed at consolidating support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid. It drew participation from leading APC figures across the Northeast, including the three governors from the zone: Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe).
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All three governors expressed strong support for a Tinubu-Shettima ticket in 2027, emphasizing continuity and the need for regional representation. However, tension arose when the APC National Vice Chairman (Northeast), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, in his address, omitted Shettima’s name while endorsing President Tinubu.
The omission provoked strong reactions from delegates, many of whom began chanting “Shettima! Shettima!” in protest. The situation quickly deteriorated when a supporter of the Vice President stormed the stage and confronted Salihu, leading to a physical altercation.
Witnesses said chairs were thrown and security personnel struggled to bring the situation under control, resulting in pandemonium that disrupted the proceedings for over 20 minutes.
Efforts by the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to restore calm were unsuccessful. Although he called for unity and stressed the importance of the Northeast to the party’s electoral success, he too avoided direct mention of Shettima in the proposed 2027 ticket.
“We value the Northeast. In 2023, the region gave us over 1.2 million votes. We expect to triple that number in the coming elections,” Ganduje said.
Despite the calls for calm, several delegates accused certain party leaders of orchestrating a plan to replace Shettima on the ticket. The unrest led to chants of “No Shettima, no APC Northeast” from aggrieved party members, with some threatening to support the opposition if the Vice President is removed from the Tinubu-led ticket.
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The disorder forced many dignitaries, including former governors, senators, ministers, and other political leaders, to leave the venue prematurely.
Outside the conference centre, police were compelled to fire teargas canisters to disperse the crowd after tempers flared further.
The incident has laid bare growing divisions within the APC in the Northeast and may lead to major political realignments as the 2027 general election approaches.
