Full Report: Ismaeel Ahmed, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former member of the party’s Board of Trustee...
Full Report:
Ismaeel Ahmed, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), has dismissed claims that Vice-President Kashim Shettima will be dropped from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television aired on Tuesday, Ahmed stated unequivocally that the ruling party has no plans whatsoever to substitute Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate. His clarification comes amid rising concerns and speculations within party circles following recent events at the APC North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe State.
In what has been described as a “mild political storm,” the meeting held on Sunday turned chaotic when some party chieftains openly endorsed President Tinubu for a second term—without making mention of Vice-President Shettima. This omission sparked outrage among loyalists and party members from the North-East, who view Shettima’s exclusion as a potential political slight.
The tension in the hall escalated, with some aggrieved stakeholders vocally insisting that Shettima must be retained on the ticket. The situation forced the Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori, to issue an impromptu endorsement of both Tinubu and Shettima for re-election in 2027 in an attempt to douse the tension.
Addressing the controversy, Ahmed explained that the uproar was rooted in misinformation and political mischief, not actual decisions taken by the party. “There is no discussion about substituting the vice-president. There is no discussion about the vice-president being blocked,” he affirmed.
He further described the speculation as “malicious rumours” propagated by individuals who lack proper understanding of the presidency and the inner workings of political planning at that level.
According to Ahmed, “We have the mandate of the people for four years, and we have used two years out of that. We have one year to the primaries and two years to the general elections. We are a party in government, which means we are supposed to obey the rules of INEC at a minimum.”
He noted that premature campaign declarations or ticket endorsements might contradict Nigeria’s electoral guidelines, which prohibit open campaigning before the official timetable is released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ahmed emphasized that there is unity between President Tinubu and Vice-President Shettima and that no official conversation within the party has suggested otherwise. He urged party members and Nigerians at large to ignore unfounded claims and allow the APC to focus on delivering good governance and fulfilling its campaign promises.
In his words, “There’s no internal conflict between the President and his Vice. We need to avoid unnecessary distractions and instead channel our energy toward national development and party unity.”
His statement is expected to calm nerves, particularly in the North-East geopolitical zone, where Shettima enjoys a strong support base. Political analysts also view this reassurance as a strategic move to maintain cohesion within the APC ahead of what promises to be a competitive 2027 election cycle.
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