The All Progressives Congress (APC), has retained Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
APC unveil Shettima in Abuja on Friday, ending months of speculations as to whether the ruling party and/or Tinubu would alter the vice presidential candidate in response to the concerns that trailed the Muslim- Muslim ticket in the 2023 polls.
However, the party and president featured the former Borno state governor again as confirmed during the submission of Tinubu and Shettima’s completed nomination forms to the National Working Committee (NWC) for transmission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, who represented him at the event formally presented the joint nomination forms of the President and Vice President to the NWC
“I am here on behalf of our father, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to submit his nomination forms, duly completed and signed, together with the sworn affidavit for Mr President and Vice President, Kashim Shettima,” Masari said.
Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, said the governors were united in their support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“We are here to submit the INEC nomination forms of Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima,” Uzodimma said.
The Imo governor praised the Tinubu administration’s performance, insisting that the governors remained committed to delivering victory for the APC in 2027.
“We, the governors of the APC, are happy with the way the President is piloting the affairs of this country. We are here to say that our President has done very well in the last three and a half years, and we will continue to support him to take this nation to greater heights,” he said.
“We reaffirm our support for the President to win a second term in 2027. We are ready to face the campaigns and deliver the President and all APC candidates in the 2027 elections. APC has come to stay,” he added.
For his part, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda said President Tinubu was already on course for victory, boasting that the party’s strength and the administration’s achievements had secured widespread public support.
“Millions of Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones are waiting to vote for Mr President in 2027. Farmers, students and many other Nigerians are waiting with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs),” he said.
Yilwatda also declared that Tinubu already had over 12 million votes virtually secured, while urging party leaders to intensify publicity around the administration’s achievements.
“I want to tell you, leaders, that come January, Nigerians will come out en masse and vote for him in 2027. What we need is effective publicity of what the President has done in the last three and a half years.
“Tinubu’s success story is there; it is not propaganda. Nigerians have seen governance that has touched the people. We will mobilise from door to door, house to house and state to state,” he said.
“The APC is presenting the best candidate in terms of good governance in this country. Come 2027, our victory is assured.
“Our membership is over 12 million. It is verifiable. If you doubt the membership of the APC, doubt your international passport; doubt your driver’s licence. We are going to work tirelessly to ensure the re-election of President Tinubu in 2027,” he stressed.
The event was attended by several governors, including Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano) and Nasir Idris (Kebbi).
Also, Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), House of Representatives member, James Faleke, and other senior party leaders were in attendance.
There had been speculations in some quarters that President Tinubu might consider a Christian from the North ahead of his re-election to balance the agitation between the Muslim and the Christian.
Among the names flying around before now as Shettima’s replacement were former Speaker Yakubu Dogara from the North-East and the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume from the North-Central.
