The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Forum in the North-Central, Saleh Zazzaga, during an interview with The Punch correspondent, spoke on the region’s political interest, opposition realignment against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, internal party threats, and the future of VP Kashim Shettima ahead of 2027 general elections.
In response to the question about whether it would be fair for President Tinubu to drop Vice President Shettima simply because the North-East was lost in the last election, he explained that politics is fundamentally about strategy and numbers, not sentiment.
He argued that election outcomes naturally influence political decisions, and if data from the last election suggests that adjustments are needed to strengthen the party’s position, then such decisions should be considered rational rather than unfair.
He emphasized that while loyalty and performance are important, the ultimate goal of any political party is to win elections. Therefore, if changing the vice-presidential candidate would help the APC consolidate support in key regions, it would be a strategic move in the party’s interest, not a personal attack or an act of injustice.
He stated that if political calculations point to the need to replace Vice President Shettima, then there would be no reason not to do so, as the priority is securing victory in the 2027 election.
He emphasized that the consideration was not about regional sentiment but purely about electoral strategy. According to him, the focus is on conducting the necessary political arithmetic to determine the best course of action for the party ahead of the next election.
Further talking, he said, “If going with Shettima will give us victory, why should we change him? We will simply manage him and continue with him. But if we do our calculations and find that we are not going to win the 2027 election that way, we will have no alternative than to change him.
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