2027: APC dismisses reports of replacing VP Shettima as Tinubu's running mate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed recent media reports suggesting a possible replacement of Vice President Kashim Shettima as the running mate to President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential elections, describing the claims as “purely speculative, untrue and utterly baseless.”

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In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party expressed concern over what it described as a “growing media frenzy” surrounding the speculation.

“Our party states in categorical terms that the stories are purely speculative, untrue, and utterly baseless,” it read.

According to the statement, some reports have gone further, naming specific individuals as potential replacements, thereby escalating the rumours.

The party urged media organisations to exercise caution and avoid providing platforms to “rumour-peddlers and mischievous news sources of questionable provenance,” whose intentions, it said, were to “promote discord and confusion in the polity.”

The statement reaffirmed that, under Nigerian laws and electoral regulations, the ban on political activities remains in force, and that APC’s priority at this time is to fully support Messrs Tinubu and Shettima in delivering the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The party highlighted its focus on reforms to transform the economy, build prosperity, and improve living conditions for Nigerians.

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APC further called on its ministers, senior government officials, and party leaders to refrain from actions that could inadvertently fuel political speculation. Instead, it urged them to focus on their core responsibilities in public service and on advancing the successes of the Tinubu administration.

This clarification comes amid heightened public interest and speculation over the APC’s strategy for the 2027 elections.

In recent weeks, several media outlets and social media platforms have circulated reports suggesting potential changes to the party’s ticket, including the replacement of Mr Shettima.

Among those mentioned in the media are the Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah, from Kaduna State, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, from Bauchi State, both Christians.

There were also speculations at some point that the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, from Kano in the North-west, could replace Mr Shettima.

The APC denial came a day after the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, warned of the consequences of replacing Mr Shettima, noting that the party might lose the 2027 poll.

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Ms Musawa, who spoke on an episode of Mic On Show, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye, on Sunday, said replacing the vice president or failing to retain a northern Muslim would weaken the APC’s fortunes in the core North.

“If there is no Hausa, Fulani or Kanuri Muslim on that ticket, it creates a hurdle. That is the reality of the way people think,” she said.

The minister added, “The core north states, like Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara, and Sokoto, understand politics at a very deep level. Politics is a way of life. People wait every four years to line up and vote because that is where they feel they have influence.

“I think if we toy with changing the construct of what we have now, it is a problem. People who suggest otherwise may not fully understand how politics works in the north.”

Mr Tinubu’s choice of Mr Shettima as running mate in the 2023 presidential election generated controversy, with many condemning the Muslim-Muslim ticket and demanding the choice of a northern Christian. The duo are Muslims.