By Emmanuel Kwada
A stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North East, held at the Gombe State Government House, descended into chaos and ended in a deadlock on Sunday, as a heated dispute over the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term bid without Vice President Kashim Shettima sparked outrage among attendees.
The rowdy session, marked by verbal clashes and threats of violence, exposed deep divisions within the party’s regional base.
This comes as the North East National Vice Chairman, Comrade Mustapha Salihu, PhD, addressed a mammoth crowd of APC members, outlining the successes recorded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the areas of insecurity, education, health, and the country’s strengthening economy.
The meeting, attended by prominent APC figures including National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, ministers, lawmakers, and governors from the North East, was intended to rally support for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Representatives from Borno and Yobe, Shettima’s home states, reacted with fury, vowing to disrupt the meeting unless both Tinubu and Shettima were jointly endorsed
However, tensions flared when Comrade Mustapha Salihu, APC National Vice Chairman (North East), endorsed Tinubu as the party’s unopposed candidate but conspicuously omitted Vice President Shettima’s name.
Stakeholders from Gombe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Taraba supported the endorsement, while representatives from Borno and Yobe, Shettima’s home states, reacted with fury, vowing to disrupt the meeting unless both Tinubu and Shettima were jointly endorsed.
The situation escalated as Borno and Yobe delegates, believed to be staunch supporters of Shettima, accused the organizers of plotting to sideline the Vice President.
“Thousands of APC members from Borno gathered in Gombe with a clear message for Tinubu: choose Kashim or risk losing the election,” one delegate reportedly declared.
Insults were hurled, and some delegates threatened physical confrontation, forcing security operatives to escort Salihu, others out of the venue for their safety.
The meeting, meant to unify the party’s North East base, ended abruptly without a resolution.
Now that he has a sitting vice president, he and the party must clarify: does the president’s endorsement cover the vice president or not?
“Now that he has a sitting vice president, he and the party must clarify: does the president’s endorsement cover the vice president or not?” one of the delegates questioned.
“The Gombe ‘endorsement’ flipped the script. Instead of showing unity, it exposed cracks in APC’s North East base. BAT has strong opposition brewing. He either aligns with Kashim or prepares for a political battle, said one of the delegates.
The uproar underscores growing unease within the APC, particularly in the North East, where Shettima, a former Borno State governor and current Vice president, enjoys significant support.
However, the omission of Shettima’s name by key party figures, including the North East Vice Chairman, who also failed to mention the Vice President during his 10-minute speech, has fueled speculation of a deliberate move to marginalize him.
The crisis in Gombe highlights the delicate balance of regional and political loyalties within the APC as the 2027 elections approach. With Borno and Yobe stakeholders vowing to resist any endorsement that excludes Shettima, the party faces a critical test of unity.
