The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has firmly opposed any plan to replace Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that such a move could seriously harm the party’s chances.
The Forum made its position known in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga.
The statement followed growing speculation that some individuals within the ruling party were pushing for Shettima’s removal from the ticket.
The rumours gained momentum after Shettima’s photograph was reportedly missing from a banner displaying images of APC leaders from the North-East during the party’s zonal public hearing on constitutional amendments held in Maiduguri. The banner featured President Tinubu, five APC governors from the region and the party’s National Legal Adviser, but excluded the Vice President.
This development reignited debates within the party over the future of the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket and Shettima’s political standing. Some stakeholders, particularly groups advocating religious balance, have called for Shettima to be replaced with a Christian from the North ahead of the next election.
However, the North-Central APC Forum described such calls as misguided and potentially disastrous. It warned that removing Shettima would weaken the party and could jeopardise President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The Forum also clarified that the North-Central region is not lobbying for the vice-presidential slot, stressing that its focus is on positioning itself for the presidency in 2031, after the completion of Tinubu’s tenure.
Advising against the politicisation of religion, the Forum argued that the North currently lacks a Christian candidate with the required grassroots influence, national appeal and political structure to effectively complement Tinubu on the ticket.
According to the group, abandoning the Muslim-Muslim ticket that secured victory in 2023 would only strengthen the opposition in the next election.
“There is serious danger in changing a winning ticket. We completely reject all calls to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in 2027,” the statement read.
“We strongly advise President Tinubu and the leadership of the party to ignore such demands, as they would amount to a grave political miscalculation.”
The Forum further accused those calling for Shettima’s replacement of acting against the interests of the APC and the President.
“Anyone making such a demand does not want President Tinubu to be re-elected. That is the only explanation for such a politically unsound request,” it said.
Analysing voting trends in the North, the Forum argued that Tinubu would not gain any additional votes by replacing Shettima. Instead, it warned that dropping him on religious grounds could result in significant loss of support in the region.
The group added that even if an opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress presents Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in 2027, changing Tinubu’s running mate would not alter voting behaviour in the North, as many minority communities would still support Obi regardless.
It therefore urged President Tinubu to retain Shettima, insisting that maintaining the current ticket remains the safest and most strategic option.
“If you look closely at the 2023 election results, most of the communities making these demands voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party,” the Forum noted.
“If Obi contests again in 2027 on the platform of the ADC, there is no guarantee they will vote for Tinubu even if Shettima is replaced with a Christian.
What is more likely is that Tinubu will lose support among core northern voters, which would benefit the opposition.”
The Forum also dismissed claims that foreign governments, including the United States and other Western nations, might pressure Nigeria to abandon the Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027.
It maintained that Nigeria is a sovereign country and should not submit to external influence in its democratic decisions.
“The Muslim-Muslim ticket delivered victory in 2023. Nigeria is an independent nation, and no foreign power will dictate our political choices,” the statement concluded, warning that external interference could undermine democracy and fuel unnecessary tension.
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