Tinubu Set to Retain Shettima as Running Mate for 2027 Election, Says Villa Source

Despite speculation and tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Bola Tinubu is expected to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2027 presidential election, authoritative Villa sources have said.

A senior presidential aide, speaking to THISDAY on Sunday, dismissed the rumours as baseless. “The president will run with Shettima. You can file it away. Stop worrying about the rumour. He will,” the source stated, insisting the APC remains confident of victory in 2027.

The reassurance follows weeks of controversy in the North-east, where some APC stakeholders accused the party of sidelining Shettima.

At a June zonal meeting in Gombe, the APC’s North-east leadership endorsed Tinubu for a second term but made no mention of Shettima. The omission triggered chaos as angry delegates hurled objects and chanted “No Shettima, no APC in the North-east.”

Former APC Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje deepened the row when he praised Tinubu but offered only vague recognition of the vice president, saying: “We are proud of his deputy, his vice president; it is one ticket according to the Constitution.”

In response, Borno, Yobe, and Gombe governors publicly reaffirmed support for both Tinubu and Shettima, stressing that the North-east stood firmly behind the ticket.

However, discontent lingers. Some delegates threatened to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if Shettima is sidelined. “It’s an insult to the region that our son, the vice president, was not mentioned,” one delegate fumed.

Political analyst James Abass warned that the episode exposed deeper rifts within the ruling party, cautioning that unresolved tensions could trigger defections or the rise of a rival movement.

Adding to speculation, Shettima appeared to snub Ganduje during a recent public event in Akwa Ibom, shaking hands with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Umo Eno while bypassing the former APC chairman.

Despite these signals, Villa insiders insist Tinubu remains committed to Shettima, signalling continuity at the top of the APC ticket ahead of 2027.