Just 24 hours to the expiration of the deadline for political parties to submit the names of their presidential and National Assembly candidates, it appears that the All Progressives Congress (APC) may retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
While the religious implications of fielding another Muslim-Muslim ticket have remained a concern, sources in the Presidency and the ruling party said political calculations were increasingly favouring Shettima’s retention.
A Presidency source disclosed that influential political stakeholders from the North-East had stepped up consultations to ensure that the Vice President remained on the APC presidential ticket.
The source said some political leaders in the region admitted Tinubu had the constitutional and political discretion to choose his running mate, but had started exploring alternative options should the President decide to replace Shettima.
But many APC chieftains were said to be hopeful that the Vice President would still make the ballot.
The source said party leaders believe Shettima’s loyalty, calm disposition and commitment to his responsibilities have strengthened his chances of remaining Tinubu’s running mate.
The source said: “They said Senator Shettima had done nothing in the last three years to warrant replacement.
“They cited the VP’s level-headedness, commitment to the job and loyalty to President Tinubu as some of the compelling reasons the President would not change him.
“Then looking at the political situation of the country right now, there is no person that the President could choose from the North to guarantee huge winning votes more than the Vice President.
The source added that dropping Shettima could lead to political discontent in the North-East, where stakeholders appear to be mobilising to protect the region’s position on the presidential ticket.
Read Also: Today’s Nigerian Newspapers: Top 10 Headlines For Friday Morning
The source further alleged that the ADC vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, had been making overtures to influential leaders in the North-East to garner support for the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
According to him, Amaechi’s political relevance in the region dates back to the 2022 APC presidential primary where he was said to have secured significant delegate support from the North-East.
“You know that Amaechi got maximum delegate votes from the North-East when he contested against Tinubu for the APC ticket in 2022.
“The ADC vice-presidential candidate has been giving us reasons to work for Atiku this time around. He said President Tinubu is determined to drop Shettima and pick a weak running mate.”
The source said Amaechi had also expressed concern over the perception of the APC’s same-faith presidential ticket outside the country.
Amaechi said President Tinubu was already in trouble with the United States because of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“I can tell you one thing, the stakeholders of the North-East have resolved to stick with Shettima.”
He said the recent television appearance of former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, was part of the efforts by the leaders in the region to assure Tinubu of continued support and bloc votes from the North-East.
As at the time of filing this report, APC leaders contacted could not confirm whether reported plans to consider the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as alternative running mates had been dropped.
The two men were said to have featured in talks on who could replace Shettima, amid pressure on the APC to balance its ticket religiously.
But a former APC national officer from the North-Central said the provisions of the Electoral Act could complicate any plan to upload Shettima’s name as a placeholder and replace him later.
“The people around President Tinubu have been telling him that running Shettima as a placeholder might be difficult to reverse due to the strong provisions of the Electoral Act 2026,” the former official said.
“They say the best thing to do is to drop Shettima and give him concessions because it will be difficult to convince him to resign after uploading his name.
