The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has outrightly rejected reported moves to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that such a step could seriously damage the party’s electoral chances.
In a hard-hitting statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, reacted to growing speculation that forces within the ruling party are pushing for Shettima’s replacement.
The controversy erupted after Shettima’s image was missing from a banner displayed at the APC’s North-East zonal public hearing on constitutional amendments in Maiduguri. The banner featured President Tinubu, five APC governors from the region and the party’s National Legal Adviser, fuelling intense political speculation.
The development reignited debate over the fate of the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027, with some party figures reportedly calling for Shettima to be replaced by a Christian from the North, particularly from the North-Central zone.
Rejecting the idea outright, the North-Central APC Forum warned that removing Shettima would be a dangerous gamble that could cost President Tinubu re-election.
The Forum stressed that the North-Central is not demanding the vice-presidential slot, insisting that the region’s focus remains on contesting the presidency in 2031.
It cautioned against dragging religion into political calculations, arguing that the North presently lacks a Christian candidate with the grassroots structure, national appeal and political weight needed to strengthen Tinubu’s ticket.
According to the Forum, dumping the Muslim-Muslim ticket would only hand the opposition a major advantage in 2027.
“There is serious danger in changing a winning ticket. We totally and unequivocally reject calls and plans to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in the next election.
“We sincerely advise President Bola Tinubu and the leaders of the party not to listen to such calls, because such a decision will turn out to be a grievous political miscalculation,” the forum stated.
The Forum accused promoters of the move of deliberately working against the President and the party.
“They do not want to see President Bola Tinubu re-elected. That is the only reason anybody with political knowledge would make such a request,” the statement said.
Breaking down northern voting dynamics, the Forum argued that Tinubu would gain no fresh votes by dropping Shettima, warning instead that the move would alienate core northern supporters and shrink the party’s vote base.
It added that even if an opposition coalition backed by the African Democratic Congress fields Peter Obi as its presidential candidate, changing the vice-presidential candidate would not alter voting behaviour in the North.
The Forum urged President Tinubu to hold the line and retain Shettima to secure his 2027 bid.
It insisted that those pushing for a change neither backed Tinubu in 2023 nor would support him in 2027, even if their demands were met.
“If you check, you will notice that in 2023, most of their communities voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
“Now if Peter Obi comes out again in 2027 on the platform of the ADC, what is the guarantee they will vote for Tinubu even if he drops Shettima and replaces him with a Christian? That is not going to happen.
“What is likely is that Tinubu will lose support among core northerners, thereby reducing his votes and giving the advantage to Peter Obi. Basic political calculation shows that dropping Shettima makes no sense and is actually very dangerous,” the statement said.
The Forum also dismissed claims that foreign powers, including the United States and other Western nations, could pressure Nigeria into dropping the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“The Muslim-Muslim ticket gave us victory in 2023. Nigeria is an independent nation, and nobody is going to dictate to us,” the Forum added.
It warned that any external interference could destabilise democracy and spark avoidable tension.
