A summit organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for stakeholders from Nigeria’s North-East ended on a tense note Sunday in Gombe State.
Delegates from the six states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe gathered for the meeting, which featured addresses by Governors Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Babagana Zulum of Borno, and Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe. The governors commended President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, particularly acknowledging his support for the North’s eight-year presidency, and collectively threw their weight behind his bid for a second term, urging northern voters to return the favour in 2027.
Shettima’s name excluded
However, tensions flared when APC North-East Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, concluded his remarks by endorsing Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for 2027, failing to mention Vice President Kashim Shettima. The omission sparked protests from some attendees, who demanded that the vice president be included in the endorsement.
Attempts by Governor Zulum to pacify the crowd did little to calm the growing unrest. The situation escalated until security personnel stepped in to restore order.
Later, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje addressed the gathering, offering separate praises for both Tinubu and Shettima, which eventually helped defuse the tension.
This controversy comes just weeks after 22 APC governors unanimously endorsed Tinubu for re-election on May 22, 2025, without publicly mentioning Shettima in their declaration.
Meanwhile, Borno South Senator Ali Ndume distanced himself from the endorsement, cautioning that such public declarations might not guarantee electoral success. “I pity Tinubu,” Ndume said, drawing parallels to former President Goodluck Jonathan, who, despite winning the backing of 22 governors in 2015, lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari.
