APC yet to decide Tinubu’s 2027 running mate, says chieftain

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, has clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election will be determined only after the party’s national convention, typically held a year before the general election.

Basiru made the statement on Friday while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, amid growing speculation and internal party tensions surrounding Vice President Kashim Shettima’s political future.

“The question of a running mate is not yet on the table,” Basiru asserted. “Nobody has claimed that President Tinubu has made any adverse decision regarding the current Vice President. The party remains focused, and at the appropriate time, decisions will be made in line with party processes.”

He noted that President Tinubu has received overwhelming endorsements from APC stakeholders to seek re-election in 2027, citing the recent APC national summit held at the Presidential Villa, which he described as a show of solid support rooted in the President’s performance and leadership track record.

“A large spectrum of stakeholders have endorsed Mr. President based on his track record. As far as we are concerned, that endorsement is clear and substantial,” he said.

The comments follow mounting tensions within the APC’s North-East bloc.

At a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe State, controversy erupted after Mustapha Salihu, APC’s Vice Chairman for the North-East, publicly endorsed President Tinubu’s re-election bid without acknowledging Vice President Shettima.

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The omission reportedly sparked backlash from several party figures, notably Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who protested the exclusion and demanded that Shettima be explicitly included in any endorsement declarations.

The incident, which nearly derailed the summit, has fueled speculation over Shettima’s position on the 2027 ticket and broader discussions around religious and regional balancing in APC’s electoral strategy.

While party officials insist it is premature to discuss the vice-presidential slot, political observers note the sensitivity of the issue, especially given the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted in 2023, which sparked significant national debate.

Basiru, however, maintained that the APC remains united and that internal debates are part of the party’s democratic process.

“The choice of running mate will follow due process, as it did in previous elections. For now, the focus is on governance and consolidating the gains made under President Tinubu,” he added.

The APC’s national convention—where a presidential candidate and running mate are typically ratified—is expected to be held sometime in 2026, leaving months of political maneuvering and strategic recalibration ahead of the next general elections.

Meanwhile, analysts say the party will need to delicately manage its internal dynamics to avoid fractures that could weaken its hold on power in 2027.