2027 Election Race: APC Confirms Shettima as Tinubu's Running Mate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially confirmed Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election, effectively ending months of intense speculation. This decision was unveiled in Abuja on Friday, putting to rest concerns that the ruling party or President Tinubu might alter the vice-presidential candidate in response to the agitations that followed the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 general elections.

The confirmation came during the formal submission of Tinubu and Shettima’s completed nomination forms to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, which will then transmit them to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Ibrahim Masari, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, represented the President at the event. He formally presented the joint nomination forms, duly completed and signed, along with the sworn affidavit for both the President and Vice President Shettima, to the NWC.

Speaking on behalf of the APC governors, Senator Hope Uzodimma, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, affirmed the governors’ unified support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid. “We are here to submit the INEC nomination forms of Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima,” Uzodimma stated, emphasizing the collective commitment of the governors.

Governor Uzodimma further lauded the performance of the Tinubu administration during its tenure, reiterating the governors’ steadfast commitment to securing victory for the APC in the 2027 elections. He expressed satisfaction with the President’s management of national affairs, proclaiming, “We, the governors of the APC, are happy with the way the President is piloting the affairs of this country. We are here to say that our President has done very well in the last three and a half years, and we will continue to support him to take this nation to greater heights.” He also pledged, “We reaffirm our support for the President to win a second term in 2027. We are ready to face the campaigns and deliver the President and all APC candidates in the 2027 elections. APC has come to stay.”

The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, echoed this confidence, asserting that President Tinubu was already on a clear path to victory. He boasted of the party’s significant strength and the administration’s tangible achievements, which he claimed had garnered widespread public support across the nation. Yilwatda declared that millions of Nigerians across all six geopolitical zones were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to vote for the President in 2027, citing strong support from various demographics, including farmers and students, who are ready with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Prof. Yilwatda also optimistically projected that President Tinubu had already secured over 12 million votes. He urged party leaders to intensify their efforts in publicizing the administration’s achievements, stating, “I want to tell you, leaders, that come January, Nigerians will come out en masse and vote for him in 2027. What we need is effective publicity of what the President has done in the last three and a half years.” He differentiated the administration's success from mere propaganda, emphasizing, “Tinubu’s success story is there; it is not propaganda. Nigerians have seen governance that has touched the people. We will mobilise from door to door, house to house and state to state.” He underscored the party’s confidence in presenting the best candidate for good governance and reaffirmed the verifiability of APC's large membership, which he pegged at over 12 million, asserting, “If you doubt the membership of the APC, doubt your international passport; doubt your driver’s licence. We are going to work tirelessly to ensure the re-election of President Tinubu in 2027.”

The event was well-attended by numerous prominent figures within the party and government. Notable governors present included Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano), and Nasir Idris (Kebbi). Also in attendance were Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), House of Representatives member James Faleke, and various other senior party leaders.

This official announcement puts an end to earlier speculations in some circles that President Tinubu might consider a Christian from the North as his running mate for re-election, in an effort to balance the Muslim-Christian agitation. Names such as former Speaker Yakubu Dogara from the North-East and the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume from the North-Central had been circulated as potential replacements for Shettima, but the party’s decision reaffirms its original choice.