According to Punch, the ruling All Progressives Congress is facing deepening internal rifts after a violent clash erupted during a stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe State, triggered by growing suspicion that Vice President Kashim Shettima might be dropped from the 2027 Tinubu ticket.
What was supposed to be a unifying gathering of the APC North-East stakeholders on Sunday devolved into chaos after the party’s Zonal Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, failed to mention Shettima while endorsing President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid. His omission was seen by many delegates as a deliberate slight against the Vice President, who hails from the region.
The moment Salihu wrapped up his speech at the International Conference Centre without referencing Shettima’s role in the 2027 election, angry chants of “Shettima! Shettima!!” erupted from the crowd. Tensions flared rapidly as a furious party member launched a chair at Salihu, who had to flee the scene amidst a barrage of flying objects, including a plastic bucket hurled from the audience.
The fracas has highlighted the cracks within the APC over the direction of its 2027 campaign strategy. What particularly enraged delegates was the perception that the Vice President, a prominent figure from the North-East, was being subtly pushed aside despite the region’s political loyalty and contributions to the current administration.
Security agents were forced to step in as the meeting descended into disorder, with chairs and objects flying across the hall in scenes captured in now-viral video footage. Attempts by Deputy National Chairman (North), Alhaji Bukar Dalori, to calm the crowd failed to de-escalate the situation.
He said; “It’s an insult to the entire region that our own son, the Vice President, was not even mentioned.”
A delegate from Borno, visibly angered by the development, described the omission as an “insult” to the entire North-East. He alleged that it was a calculated move to sideline Shettima from the 2027 joint ticket, warning that the region would not accept such marginalisation quietly.
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