Ganduje tells group agitating for Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate to lobby, not fight

Ganduje said: “Politics is not violence. It is dialogue, lobbying, and consultation. Resorting to physical attacks is unacceptable.”

National Chairman of the All Progressives. Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has issued a strongly worded statement condemning the violence that erupted in Gombe during the party’s stakeholders meeting where President Bola Tinubu was endorsed for a second term without his Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

According to Ganduje, speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment, Chief Oliver Okpala, the action of the Shettima’s agitators was “grievously irresponsible and unpatriotic.”

Ganduje warned that such conduct mirrored the political crises of the First Republic that led to national instability.

“This was not just an assault on the National Chairman,” the statement read, “but on the entire APC leadership. If such unruly behaviour goes unchecked, it sets a dangerous precedent. Nigeria’s democracy cannot be allowed to slide into lawlessness.”

Ganduje’s spokesperson stressed that the Chairman’s relationship with both Tinubu and Shettima remains “as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar” and accused the agitators of lacking political maturity.

“Politics is not violence,” he said. “It is dialogue, lobbying, and consultation. Resorting to physical attacks is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

Security agents reportedly intervened swiftly to prevent further escalation and ensure the safety of top party officials.

The political storm brewed within the ruling APC over the fate of Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 presidential race.

The rumour that President Bola Tinubu may consider replacing Shettima as his running mate ahead of the next general elections reached a boiling point on Sunday at the APC North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, where what was meant to be a show of unity rapidly descended into disorder.

Eyewitnesses reported that tensions flared when Mustapha Salihu, APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), concluded his remarks endorsing Tinubu for a second term—without once mentioning Vice President Shettima.

His omission sparked fury among party delegates. In a now-viral video, enraged attendees began chanting “Shettima! Shettima!!” before chaos erupted.

One supporter stormed the stage and struck Salihu with a chair, while another hurled a plastic bucket at him as he fled the venue under the protection of security personnel.