A political storm is brewing within the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as growing speculation over the fate of Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 presidential race triggered outrage, chaos, and urgent crisis management efforts by party leaders.

The rumour that President Bola Tinubu may consider replacing Shettima as his running mate ahead of the next general elections reached a boiling point on Sunday at the APC North-East stakeholders? meeting in Gombe, where what was meant to be a show of unity rapidly descended into disorder.

Eyewitnesses reported that tensions flared when Mustapha Salihu, APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), concluded his remarks endorsing Tinubu for a second term?without once mentioning Vice President Shettima.

His omission sparked fury among party delegates. In a now-viral video, enraged attendees began chanting ?Shettima! Shettima!!? before chaos erupted.

One supporter stormed the stage and struck Salihu with a chair, while another hurled a plastic bucket at him as he fled the venue under the protection of security personnel.

The violence was not an isolated outburst. Moments later, APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje delivered his own closing remarks?but also failed to explicitly mention Shettima.

His silence only deepened suspicions, fueling chants of ?No Shettima, no APC in the North-East,? with some delegates even threatening to back former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the opposition PDP if Shettima is dropped.

In an attempt to calm frayed nerves, Deputy National Chairman (North), Ali Bukar Dalori, reassured party faithful that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket remained intact.

?There is no cause for alarm,? Dalori disclosed on Monday. ?As the 2027 political atmosphere heats up, let me be clear: the Tinubu/Shettima ticket is non-negotiable. We haven?t found the sin Senator Shettima committed to warrant a substitution.?

While emphasising that Sunday?s fracas was regrettable but not uncommon in political gatherings, Dalori questioned whether Salihu?s omission of Shettima was deliberate or a mere oversight.

Regardless, he reiterated that the party stands firmly behind both the President and his deputy.

Reacting to the chaos, Ganduje issued a strongly worded statement condemning the violence as ?grievously irresponsible and unpatriotic.?

Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment, Chief Oliver Okpala, Ganduje warned that such conduct mirrored the political crises of the First Republic that led to national instability.

?This was not just an assault on the National Chairman,? the statement read, ?but on the entire APC leadership. If such unruly behaviour goes unchecked, it sets a dangerous precedent. Nigeria?s democracy cannot be allowed to slide into lawlessness.?

Ganduje?s spokesperson stressed that the Chairman?s relationship with both Tinubu and Shettima remains ?as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar? and accused the agitators of lacking political maturity.

?Politics is not violence,? he said. ?It is dialogue, lobbying, and consultation. Resorting to physical attacks is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms.?

Security agents reportedly intervened swiftly to prevent further escalation and ensure the safety of top party officials.

Ex-minister warns

Adding his voice to the debate, former Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu cautioned the APC leadership against entertaining any move to replace Shettima, warning that such a decision could fracture the party.

?This is an unnecessary crisis,? Shittu said. ?From the beginning, Shettima was a unifying choice. At a time when he wasn?t even seeking the position, he accepted the role and has performed dutifully. Why tamper with a winning team??

The former minister dismissed claims linking Tinubu?s past practice of replacing deputies during his tenure as Lagos governor to his current political strategy, calling the comparison ?a needless distraction.?

?If it isn?t broken, don?t fix it,? he said. ?Creating instability now will only benefit the opposition. The consequences of dropping Shettima could be devastating for the party.?

Whispers of Realignment

Despite repeated denials from top APC figures, multiple sources within the party told The PUNCH that talks of a potential replacement stem from political calculations aimed at realignment ahead of 2027?echoing Tinubu?s past strategy in Lagos.

One source said the idea is to shore up support in regions where the APC currently faces resistance, though no concrete decisions have been made.

?The President is weighing the options,? the source hinted.

Still, the source acknowledged the blowback from the North-East, a region that delivered critical votes in 2023 and views Shettima as a key representative voice.

As the party tries to contain the fallout, political analysts warn that any perception of betrayal towards the North-East may cost the APC dearly in 2027.

?Dropping Shettima could fracture the fragile regional alliances that brought Tinubu to power,? an analyst stated. ?The stakes are high, and the APC must tread carefully or risk internal implosion.?

With party chieftains rushing to reaffirm loyalty and temper dissent, the ruling party faces a critical test to maintain unity amid rising ambitions and political intrigue.

Salihu reacts

A day after he narrowly escaped a violent mob attack at the APC North-East stakeholders? meeting in Gombe, Mustapha Salihu, spoke out ? insisting that only President Bola Tinubu has the constitutional authority to choose his running mate for the 2027 elections.

Salihu made the clarification on Monday during a live appearance on Channels Television?s Politics Today.

?There is no such thing as a joint ticket during party primaries,? Salihu said. ?Only the presidential candidate emerges, and it is entirely his prerogative to choose a running mate ? after he becomes the flagbearer.?

He emphasised that while party consultations are typical, the final decision remains solely with the presidential candidate.

?Even though the party and stakeholders may be consulted, constitutionally, it is solely the candidate?s right.?

Addressing the controversy that spiraled into Sunday?s chaos, Salihu denied deliberately excluding Shettima from his speech. He claimed the portion praising the Vice President was delivered before the incident.

?The last paragraph of my speech before the fracas was dedicated to eulogising Kashim Shettima. I said he is our son and that we in the North-East stand solidly behind him,? Salihu said.

He also praised other key government appointees from the North-East, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and thanked President Tinubu for their appointments.

?It?s on record. I spoke about all of them before endorsing Asiwaju as the party?s sole candidate,? he added.

Salihu dismissed speculations of a rift between Tinubu and Shettima, accusing political opportunists of fueling discord within the party.

?Some people thrive on creating tension. We call them ?crisis entrepreneurs? ? they manipulate situations like this to create confusion and benefit from it,? he said. ?These rumours are inevitable, especially as elections draw near.?

He urged party members and the public not to fall for what he called ?conspiracy theories? circulating on social media.

?Party business isn?t conducted on the platforms of social media or pages of newspapers. We operate through the party office. These rumours are simply not reflective of the reality within the party,? he stated.

When asked if he knows those who orchestrated his attack, Salihu said, ?The security agencies know the section of people who orchestrated that attack. Thank God that I was not touched. Nobody was able to harm me as planned.

The reason why I can?t divulge all the information is because there is an ongoing investigation and once the facts are established, I will make it available to the public

?Some people are trying to use this as an instrument of coercion. If you cannot coerce a small person like me, is it Asiwaju you want to intimidate? You can?t do that. It is a wrong way of trying to get political advantage.? (The PUNCH, but headline rejigged)

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