Is It True That Tinubu Will Drop Shettima as Running Mate in 2027? New Development Emerges
- APC denies rumours of President Tinubu dropping VP Shettima for the 2027 election
- Party spokesperson calls speculation baseless and urges media responsibility
- Nigerians express mixed reactions, questioning the APC's credibility and internal unity
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the speculation that President Bola Tinubu would be dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2027 general election.
Felix Morka, the spokesperson of the ruling party, in a statement on Monday, January 26, said that the speculation has been "mostly subtle" but recently gained traction, where the names of some individuals were mentioned as a replacement for Vice President Shettima.
Source: Twitter
Morka's statement reads in part:
"Our Party states in categorical terms that the stories are purely speculative, untrue and utterly baseless."
The ruling party then urged the media to refrain from allowing their platforms to be used by rumour peddlers and mischievous people with questionable intentions, adding that the move was to promote discord and confusion in the party.
He then called on APC's "ministers, senior government and Party officials to avoid, wittingly or unwittingly, stoking needless speculations, and to focus on their primary duty of diligent service to government and our Party, and bolster the success and achievements of President Tinubu, our inimitable and visionary leader."
Analyst speaks on dropping Shettima
Speaking on the development, Omotayo Yusuf, a political analyst, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, maintained that dropping Shettima could be a risk that may affect the president, considering the fact that the North-Central do not need more conviction to support Tinubu in 2027 based on the number of appointments that the region got. His statement reads:
""However, it's a risk that might not play out well. I do not think that the North Central needs further conviction to support Tinubu in 2027. As already seen in by-elections where the APC won in those states, based on visible progress that they have seen."
Nigerians react as APC speaks on Shettima's fate
Some Nigerians have taken to the comment section of the statement by Morka and expressed their views about the development. Below are some of their reactions:
Ibn Ibrahim commended the clarification:
"Baseless rumours thrive when there's a vacuum of facts. This clarification is necessary and timely. Focus should remain on governance and delivery, not manufactured distractions ahead of 2027."
Source: Twitter
Geo Politics explained why some elements of truth are in the story:
"Apc as a party is in a state of dilemma as to who they will use as a running mate. Forces from the US and rejection of Tinubu's policies by the north."
Bashiru Akanbi wrote:
"The APC’s denial is long on words but short on credibility. If there were no plans or internal discussions about changing the 2027 running mate, a clear and firm reaffirmation of Vice President Shettima would have ended the matter instantly. Instead, the party resorts to generic denials, media bashing, and calls for silence, classic signs of internal uncertainty. Political speculation does not arise in a vacuum. It thrives where clarity is absent. Blaming the media cannot conceal the fact that power negotiations are already underway within the APC, as they are in every ruling party ahead of a major election. Democracy allows debate, not enforced quietness. Until the APC speaks with clarity rather than defensiveness, these discussions will remain legitimate and unavoidable."
Osaro rejects a Muslim-Muslim ticket under the party:
"Everything our party publicly denies eventually turns out to be true. We categorically reject the continuation of the Muslim-Muslim ticket."
You can read APC's full statement on X here:
Tinubu's aide mentions APC leader in Rivers
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu's special adviser on policy communication, Daniel Bwala, has said that his position on the political crisis in Rivers state aligned with that of the national chairman of the ruling APC, Professor Nantawe Yilwatda.
Bwala's comment came amid the move by the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the renewed war of words between him and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike.
Source: Legit.ng
