The APC summit held on Sunday in Gombe State ended in tension after Vice President Kashim Shettima’s name was excluded from a public endorsement speech, triggering protests among party members. The event, organised for North-East APC stakeholders, brought together delegates from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe.
Key figures at the summit included Governors Babagana Zulum (Borno), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), and Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), who collectively praised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership and urged the region to support his re-election in 2027. Their speeches emphasised Tinubu’s backing of a northern presidency for eight years, calling for a reciprocal gesture.
Shettima’s Exclusion Triggers Uproar
Trouble began when Mustapha Salihu, the APC North-East Vice Chairman, closed his speech by naming Tinubu as the sole 2027 candidate without mentioning Shettima. This omission infuriated some delegates who interpreted it as a snub of the vice president, who hails from the same region.
Efforts by Zulum to defuse the tension were unsuccessful, and it took the intervention of security officials to calm the gathering. Eventually, party chairman Abdullahi Ganduje addressed the aggrieved members, offering a separate acknowledgment of both Tinubu and Shettima to pacify the audience.
Endorsement Divides Party Leaders
This is not the first time Shettima has been omitted in public endorsements. On May 22, 2025, 22 APC governors had declared support for Tinubu’s second term without naming Shettima in the resolution. That decision had already sparked murmurs of discontent among some party loyalists in the North-East.
Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has openly rejected the endorsement. “I pity Tinubu,” he said, citing how former President Goodluck Jonathan had the support of 22 governors in 2015 but still lost the election to Muhammadu Buhari. Ndume’s remarks further reflect growing unease within the party’s northern ranks.
APC Summit in Gombe Ends in Tension Over Shettima’s Exclusion
The APC summit in Gombe, rather than uniting party members, has exposed internal fault lines over the future of Vice President Kashim Shettima within the party’s 2027 plans. While Tinubu’s endorsement gains momentum, the backlash over Shettima’s exclusion may pose a serious challenge if not addressed. As 2027 approaches, the APC must confront the rising internal discontent—especially from the zone that delivered some of its strongest support in 2023.
