APC North East Vice Chairman Salihu justifies omission of Shettima during endorsement of Tinubu

The National Vice Chairman (North East) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mustapha Salihu, has argued that it would be wrong to impose Vice President Kashim Shettima on President Bola Tinubu during the zone’s endorsement of the president for a second term in Gombe.

At the North-East stakeholders meeting held on Sunday, Salihu had announced the endorsement of Tinubu for re-election while leaving out Vice President Kashim Shettima. A commotion later ensued, with the meeting becoming rowdy.

During Monday interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, Salihu justified not endorsing Shettima. He said doing so would mean imposing the Vice President as the running mate of Tinubu.

There had been questions over Shettima’s fate since party leaders endorsed Tinubu as sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election during the APC National Summit held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last month.

This had fuelled speculations that Tinubu might not run with Shettima in 2027. When Salihu moved the motion for the endorsement of Tinubu without mentioning Shettima, some section of the attendance turned the meeting into a rowdy session. A chair was even flung at him, but he managed to dodge it.

The stakeholders meeting in Gombe was attended by the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; the governors of Borno, Yobe and Gombe States, Babagana Zulum, Mai Mala Buni and Inuwa Yahaya, respectively; ministers and lawmakers from the North East.