POLITICS
2027: North-east APC leaders gathering in Gombe to endorse VP Shettima for second term
The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the North-east region will meet later today to formally endorse Vice President Kashim Shettima for reelection to a second term alongside President Bola Tinubu.
A top APC official in Borno told PREMIUM TIMES that the leaders will make the endorsement at their regional consultative forum meeting at the International Conference Centre, Gombe. Mai Mala Buni, the Yobe State governor and APC North-east zonal coordinating chairman, organised the meeting.
The leaders, including state governors, federal and state lawmakers, and party officials, started arriving in Gombe for the meeting on Saturday. The agenda includes discussing the party’s challenges and strategising on strengthening the party’s presence in the region ahead of the 2027 elections. Sources said party leaders consider the meeting a crucial platform for youth and women to contribute to the party’s development and future direction.
Party leaders told this newspaper that the primary interest of the meeting is to endorse Mr Shettima, a former governor of Borno State, to continue with President Tinubu on the APC ticket in 2027.
Why endorsement is necessary – Party leaders
In 2023, Mr Tinubu faced strong criticism for picking the then-senator and fellow Muslim as his running mate. Two factors opposed the nomination.
Nigeria has two dominant religions, so balancing the presidential ticket between them has been a long-standing culture in the country. By convention, Mr Tinubu, a Muslim from the South-west, was expected to pick a northern Christian for the position.
Some prominent Christian politicians, including those from Mr Shettima’s region, revolted against his nomination. Some, including former House of Representatives Speaker Yakunu Dogara and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babaxhir Lawal, left the APC to campaign for Mr Tinubu’s opponents.
Also, Mr Shettima’s nomination did not go down well with some party leaders from the North-west and North-central regions who felt overlooked.
With the 2027 general election approaching, President Tinubu has been strategising for his reelection against the backdrop of efforts by his major opponents to form a coalition for the election. Observers believe Mr Tinubu’s economic policies, which have pushed Nigerians into more poverty, will affect his chances.
Mr Shettima’s contributions to Mr Tinubu’s victory in 2023 were also seen as very poor. Apart from Borno, the state he comes from, the ticket did not win any of the five remaining states in his region.
There is a speculation that the president is considering replacing Mr Shettima to boost his prospects in the 2027 election. However, neither the president nor any of his aides has suggested such.
Many APC stakeholders have already endorsed Mr Tinubu to run under the party unopposed. However, many of them do not mention Mr Shettima in their endorsements.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yayaha on Saturday declared his full support for Mr Tinubu’s re-election.
“I assure the president that for what he has done, is doing, and will do, Gombe people will follow him to the battlefield blindfolded,” the governor said.
“We will work for his success in 2027. By God’s grace, his re-election is assured.”
Some party officials fear that not mentioning Mr Shettima in such endorsements creates a vacuum and suggests a plot against him.
This situation has attracted the attention of Mr Shettima’s loyalists, including Borno Governor Babagana Zulum, who wants Mr Shettima to be retained on the ticket.
A party leader in Borno said the regional endorsements will enhance Mr Shettima’s position and the party’s prospects in the North-east.
PREMIUM TIMES reports
The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, has alleged that Justice Peter Lifu acted in contempt of court by issuing a judgment that deregistered the ADC and four other political parties despite a pending appeal.
According to Abdullahi, the Court of Appeal had directed that no action should be taken on the matter until the appeal is heard on October 27. He argued that proceeding with the judgment before the appellate court’s determination amounts to a disregard for the court’s directive.
“Justice Peter Lifu, the judge who gave the judgment that deregistered the ADC and four other parties, should be arrested. The Appeal Court said don’t act until the case is heard on October 27. He’s acting in contempt of court,” Abdullahi stated.
The remarks add a new dimension to the legal and political controversy surrounding the status of the affected political parties, with the matter expected to be further addressed when the appeal comes up for hearing.
KANO — Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso has been announced as the deputy governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mustapha is the son of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a leading figure in the party and former governor of Kano State.
The announcement comes amid ongoing political realignments within the NDC in Kano. The party recently unveiled Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo as its governorship candidate for the state, following consultations among party stakeholders.
Political observers say the emergence of Mustapha Kwankwaso as running mate is expected to generate discussions within Kano’s political landscape, given his family ties to the influential Kwankwasiyya movement led by his father.
The NDC has continued to position itself as a major opposition force ahead of the 2027 elections, with the party’s leadership expressing confidence in its chances across key states, including Kano.
Party officials are expected to provide further details on the candidature and campaign strategy in the coming days.
Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, has firmly stated that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, exerts no influence on party decisions or candidate selections.
Umeh made the clarification on Monday during an interview, while addressing speculations and allegations that he was involved in influencing positions within the party.
The NDC has come under heavy criticism following its recently concluded primary elections across the country. In response to claims linking Obi to the process, Umeh distanced the former Anambra governor from any involvement.
“Peter Obi has not been involved in influencing who becomes what in the NDC. He’s somebody whom you can hardly see drag into a process like this,” Senator Umeh said.
He added that in Obi’s local government area, residents are fully aware of developments and do not require directives from him on whom to support.
Umeh attributed his own decision to join the NDC to the party’s leadership under Senator Seriake Dickson. “It’s because he’s the chairman or the leader of that party that made us join the party, because I work with him in the Senate, and I know his character. I know he stands on national issues,” he explained.
The senator noted that the entry of Peter Obi and former Kano Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso into the NDC triggered a surge of aspirants seeking various positions. He dismissed complaints of extortion during the primaries, saying those making the claims were attempting to manipulate the process and ultimately “had their fingers burnt.”
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