2027 Election: North-Central APC Warns Tinubu Against Replacing Shettima

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has openly opposed any plan aimed at removing Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election. The group described such a move as a serious political error that could weaken the party’s chances.

This position was made public in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja by the forum’s chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, following growing reports that certain individuals within the ruling party were lobbying for Shettima’s replacement on the 2027 ticket.

Concerns intensified after Vice President Shettima’s photograph was noticeably missing from a large banner displayed during the APC North-East zonal public hearing on proposed amendments to the party’s constitution, held in Maiduguri. The banner carried images of President Tinubu, five APC governors from the region, and the party’s National Legal Adviser, but excluded the vice president.

That omission sparked renewed conversations about Shettima’s political future and the sustainability of the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the next election cycle. Following the incident, reports emerged that some party stakeholders were advocating for the selection of a Christian running mate, particularly from the North-Central zone.

Some pressure groups from the region reportedly argued that choosing a Christian vice-presidential candidate would balance religious representation and appeal to minority voters. However, the North-Central APC Forum firmly rejected this reasoning.

According to the forum, removing Shettima would be damaging to the party and could seriously endanger President Tinubu’s re-election prospects in 2027. The group stressed that the North-Central region is not lobbying for the vice-presidential slot, explaining that its long-term political focus is on contesting the presidency in 2031, after Tinubu’s tenure.

The forum also warned against allowing religious sentiment to dominate strategic political decisions. It argued that, at present, the North lacks a Christian candidate with the necessary grassroots strength, nationwide influence, and political structure capable of complementing Tinubu’s electoral base as effectively as Shettima.

In its view, abandoning a ticket that previously delivered victory would only create openings for opposition parties to exploit in the 2027 race.

“There is a clear risk in tampering with a winning formula,” the forum stated. “We completely reject all calls or plans to remove Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in the next election.”

The statement further urged President Tinubu and APC leadership to disregard such demands, warning that yielding to them would amount to a costly political misjudgment.

The forum accused those pushing for Shettima’s removal of acting against the interests of both the party and the president, suggesting their actions were designed to undermine Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term.

“Anyone making such a request does not genuinely want President Bola Tinubu re-elected,” the forum asserted, adding that political experience clearly shows the danger of such a move.

Analyzing voting patterns across the North, the group argued that Tinubu would not gain additional electoral support by changing his running mate. Instead, it warned that removing Shettima on religious grounds could trigger voter backlash and result in significant losses for the APC in the region.

The forum also pointed out that if an opposition coalition supported by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) fields Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in 2027, changing the vice-presidential slot would not alter voting behavior among many northern minorities. According to the forum, such voters would likely support Obi regardless of Tinubu’s choice of running mate.

Based on this assessment, the forum advised President Tinubu to retain Shettima and maintain the current ticket in order to strengthen his chances in the next general election.

It further argued that many of those calling for a replacement did not support Tinubu during the 2023 election and would remain unwilling to vote for him in 2027, even if their demands were met.

“If you review the 2023 election results carefully,” the forum noted, “you will see that most of these communities voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party.”

The group concluded that even if Obi contests again in 2027 under the ADC platform, there is no assurance that these voters would switch allegiance to Tinubu, regardless of who becomes his running mate.