Despite the Presidency stating that President Bola Tinubu will choose his running mate for the 2027 presidential poll after the All Progressives Congress convention, the battle for the coveted Vice President slot has continued to rage on, The PUNCH reports.
This comes less than two weeks after the APC North-East stakeholders meeting, which had been convened to endorse Tinubu for 2027, ended in chaos.
APC members, believed to be supporters of Vice President Kashim Shettima, had during the stakeholders meeting thrown chairs at the APC Vice Chairman, North-East, Mustapha Salihu, for failing to endorse the VP as Tinubu’s running mate during his speech.
Salihu later clarified why Shettima was not endorsed, explaining that doing so would have meant that Tinubu had already chosen his running mate for the 2027 election.
“It would have been inappropriate to endorse the Vice President along with the President because it would pre-assume that he is the running mate,” Salihu said on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The Presidency and APC sources had told Sunday PUNCH that there were ongoing political permutations that could compel the President to drop his VP for another running mate.
No fewer than four northern governors, two each from the North-East and North-West, and two principal officers in the 10th National Assembly, are reported to be eyeing the VP’s seat.
Also, there are speculations that the President may be considering running with a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, a Christian from Bauchi State, a move aimed at religious balancing.
According to multiple party sources, the idea of picking a Christian from the North Central for 2027 is slim following fears that it could affect the party’s chances in the densely populated North West and North East.
“The feeling is that picking a Christian as running mate from North Central may affect the party’s votes in the North West and North East, where they may vote massively for the opposition,” one of our sources said.
At the last presidential election, Tinubu polled 2,652, 235 (41.0%) to emerge triumphant in the North West but lost the North East to ‘homeboy’ Atiku Abubakar in the North East. Atiku claimed 1,741,846 as against 933,176 by Tinubu.
With the President polling 1,760,993 in North Central, claiming four states in the process, to top the charts in 2023, party stalwarts feel he enjoys the support of the region.
However, further findings by The PUNCH have shown that the battle for Tinubu’s running mate stems from the bigger war of who succeeds the President when he completes his term in 2031.
According to top and credible APC chieftains, the battle is primarily among top APC bigwigs of northern extraction, who are seeking to succeed Tinubu after his second term ends in 2031.
“What the media does not know is that the battle about who becomes Tinubu’s running mate during the APC convention is the battle of who will succeed him,” a top source close to the development told The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorised to speak on the matter.
Corroborating this, a top APC chieftain, who is familiar with the tussle for Shettima’s office, further explained, “Those who are jostling to replace the VP as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027 are top APC heavyweights from the North in the present government who are also nursing the ambition to succeed the President in 2031.
“They know that the APC is returning power to the North in 2031. So, they feel that if the VP is allowed to do a second term with Tinubu, he will have an edge over other candidates from the North during the APC primaries for the 2031 presidential poll. So, they believe whoever becomes the VP during Tinubu’s second term will have a better chance to succeed him.”
Also interested in Tinubu’s running mate race is a top official in Tinubu’s cabinet who is from the North-East. It is believed that the President may be favourably disposed to having the APC chieftain (name withheld) succeed him, with some APC chieftains pushing to have him run with Tinubu in 2027, The PUNCH further learnt.
According to multiple government and party sources, those who belong to this camp believe having the Shettima run with Tinubu for the second term may weaken the APC chieftain’s chances.
Also, there are insinuations that the close bond and robust relationship between the First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and the VP’s wife may strengthen Shettima’s chances in 2031 if he is allowed to run with the President in 2027.
As a result of the development, even though the APC convention is still several months away, the VP camp and others of northern APC bigwigs interested in the race are busy making consultations and offering high-stakes offers to win more APC governors and party big shots to their respective sides.
Meanwhile, top party sources said one of the reasons the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, was allegedly stopped by key APC figures from serving in the Tinubu government is his ambition to run for the Presidency in 2031.
It is believed that the former Kaduna governor’s profile would have given him an edge ahead of 2031, and he may emerge as a top contender in the race.
Last February, El-Rufai accused National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, of planning to tarnish his reputation because of his 2031 presidential ambition.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, El-Rufai alleged that Ribadu was collaborating with Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to destroy his image
“This project of destroying Nasir El-Rufai is Nuhu Ribadu’s conception. He is the architect and builder of that project. He is the one working with Uba Sani to implement it. So far, it has been frustrating for them,” El-Rufai said.
“Somebody wants to destroy my reputation. Why? Nuhu Ribadu wants to be President in 2031. He has to eliminate every northerner that he thinks is on the radar.”
However, findings by The PUNCH show that it is too early to make a call about who may eventually emerge as Tinubu’s running mate during the APC convention despite the heavy consultations currently ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Adamawa State APC chapter said the party had no constitutional powers to endorse Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 election.
When asked if the state APC would endorse the VP for 2027, the spokesman for the party, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, told The PUNCH on Tuesday that the party sold nomination forms to candidates and don’t endorse their deputies.
“The party can only endorse candidates who buy forms. Deputies for President and governors are required by the Independent National Electoral Commission to qualify the President and governors to contest.
“The President and governors have the right to pick whoever they want and not the party. So, whoever is endorsing people for whatever position is ignorant of the APC Constitution,” he said.
He said that vice presidents and deputy governors were not contestants in elections, pointing out that only those who bought forms were recognised by law and could challenge the outcome of any election they participated.
Also, former Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly and APC stakeholder, Usman Sugum, believes discussions about Shettima’s endorsement for the 2027 general elections were premature.
He stressed the importance of nominating credible candidates who could deliver for the party, regardless of their backgrounds.
“Endorsements by groups at this time are premature,” he said. “The party leadership and President Tinubu will decide on the best candidate to support the party’s victory when the time comes.
“The main thing for the APC to do is to look for strong stakeholders who can deliver the party at an election time. The fight during the Gombe party stakeholders meeting is unnecessary.”
According to the ex-speaker, political positions are typically allocated based on party performance during elections.
He noted that the north-east region should be considered for the vice presidential slot in the 2027 general elections.
“The north-east region must be considered for the vice president in the 2027 general elections, in my opinion,” he stated.
Sugum urged politicians to adhere to the electoral procedures and guidelines, allowing events to unfold in due course.
However, political analysts disagreed that the scramble for a running mate for the President ahead of the 2027 poll was premature.
Speculating about possible candidates and their running mates, they argued, was not out of order.
In a telephone interview with The PUNCH, former Minister of Education, Prof Tunde Adeniran, said there was nothing wrong with the jostle for political slots, adding, however, “It depends on the political party and the individuals concerned.”
On his part, Professor of Political Science at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Shola Omotola, said there was no universally agreed-upon timetable on when to commence politically-related events.
He said, “The season of politics is around the corner. Politicians are struggling to reposition themselves where their interests would be best protected and served.
“There is no universally agreed-upon timetable or timeline as to the best time to commence electioneering processes. Maybe the Independent National Electoral Commission timetable can be a pointer. But you know that our politicians hardly respect those regulations.”
Like Omotola, Professor Jideofor Adibe of the Political Science Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, noted that the struggle to replace Shettima was not unexpected.
“Our politicians are always thinking of the next election.”
In a related development, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin has issued a stern warning to Northern political groups and supporters, urging President Tinubu to consider him as a potential replacement for Shettima.
A group identified as the Northern Nigeria’s Progressive Youths Assembly had advised Tinubu to dump his VP and replace him with Jibrin come 2027.
But in a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, Barau categorically distanced himself from the campaign led by the Northern Nigeria Progressive Youth Assembly, describing such move as inappropriate and ill-timed.
“My attention has been drawn to various posts on social media and in some national dailies by groups, including the Northern Nigeria Progressive Youth Assembly, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to pick me as his running mate in 2027. This is out of place and not in our collective best interest,” he stated.
Barau, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, cautioned the NNPYA and similar bodies to stop the advocacy and instead redirect their focus toward supporting President Tinubu’s administration in tackling Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
“If you are truly my supporters, please desist from this unnecessary clamour,” he appealed. “Join the effort to restore the glorious days of our country under the able leadership of President Tinubu. Let us all rally behind him to continue delivering on his Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The Kano Central lawmaker reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to the Tinubu administration, stressing the need for unity and support across the country for the president’s policies and programmes.
“This is not the time to be distracted by political permutations. What should matter now is the success of President Tinubu’s administration. He is genuinely committed to positively transforming the fortunes of our nation,” Jibrin said.
As the battle for who deputises Tinubu rages, the North-East Coalition of the APC Support Groups also endorsed former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as a credible and unifying candidate for the vice presidential slot in the 2027 general elections.
The resolution was reached at the end of a two-day meeting of the coalition in Gombe State. The meeting, which was attended by delegates from across the region, including executive committee members and representatives of affiliated support groups, was convened to review the party’s trajectory and chart a course for its strengthened relevance in the country’s evolving political landscape.
Dogara, a Christian from Bauchi State, had reportedly fallen out with Tinubu after the President opted for a Muslim-Muslim ticket that brought Shettima on board in 2023.
While Dogara has not distanced himself from the endorsement, former Sokoto State governor and Senator representing Sokoto North senatorial district, Aliyu Wamakko, has denied claims alluding he is nursing a vice-presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Abdallah El-Kurebe, he described a recent report titled “2027 Aspirations: Northern Leaders Urged to Support Wamakko”, which attributed calls for Wamakko’s candidacy to the Chairman of Kebbe Local Government Area, Abdullahi Yarima, as unauthorised.
The statement read in part, “We wish to state unequivocally that Senator Wamakko has never publicly or privately expressed interest in contesting for the position of Vice President in the 2027 general elections or in any political arrangement of that nature. Any insinuation or claim to that effect is false, baseless, and highly irresponsible.”
The Sokoto State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria also distanced itself from the endorsement of Wamakko as the vice-presidential candidate of the APC ahead of 2027.
In a statement issued in Sokoto on Sunday, the state Chairman of ALGON and Chairman of Tambuwal LG, Abba Tambuwal, clarified that the call was the personal opinion of Yarima, the Secretary of the association.
“Our dear colleague, who also serves as our scribe, merely expressed his individual opinion,” the statement clarified.
“While he is entitled to his views like every other citizen, it must be clearly stated that he was acting on his own.” (Punch)
