Tensions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reached a boiling point on Saturday as Vice President Kashim Shettima pointedly refused to shake hands with the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, in what many see as a public display of dissatisfaction amid a growing rift over the 2027 presidential running mate ticket.
The snub took place in Akwa Ibom State during a reception organized in honour of Governor Umo Eno, who recently decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
In a video obtained by THE WHISTLER, Shettima was seen exchanging handshakes with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Eno but conspicuously extended his hand past Ganduje, who stood third in line, to greet other dignitaries behind him—leaving those present visibly stunned.
The gesture may not be unconnected to the recent political developments that have cast doubt on Shettima’s continued place on the 2027 joint ticket with President Bola Tinubu.
The handshake incident followed a chaotic episode at the APC North East Stakeholders Consultative Meeting held in Gombe earlier in the week, where tensions erupted over the same issue. At the meeting, while the party formally endorsed President Tinubu for a second term, there was no mention of Shettima continuing as Vice President on the ticket.
The situation escalated when Comrade Mustapha Salihu, APC’s National Vice Chairman (North East), failed to mention Shettima in his speech endorsing the party’s 2027 ticket. This omission sparked loud chants of “Shettima! Shettima!!” from delegates, signaling widespread dissatisfaction.
One Shettima loyalist stormed the stage and physically confronted Salihu, triggering a full-blown melee in the International Conference Centre, Gombe. Chairs were hurled across the hall as security struggled to contain the chaos.
The disorder lasted for more than twenty minutes and resulted in many high-profile attendees, including former and current governors, ministers, lawmakers, and party stalwarts from the region, leaving the venue unceremoniously.
Police later fired teargas outside the hall to disperse angry supporters and restore calm.
Despite the uproar, three influential APC governors from the North East—Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe)—openly declared support for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in their speeches at the Gombe event.
However, Ganduje, in his own address, also failed to mention Shettima as part of the ticket, further fanning speculation that a faction within the party is working to replace the Vice President ahead of the 2027 elections.
The perceived sidelining of Shettima has provoked sharp reactions from the North East, Shettima’s political base. Some delegates have threatened to defect to the opposition coalition being formed if the APC drops him from the ticket.
“No Shettima, no APC in the North East,” some reportedly chanted. Others have vowed to align with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if Shettima is excluded.
While Shettima has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident or the unfolding power struggle, his conspicuous gesture in Akwa Ibom would be interpreted by many as a calculated political message to the party leadership.
The Presidency has attempted to downplay the rift, but insiders confirm that tensions have been mounting over the 2027 succession plan. With some party heavyweights positioning their preferred candidates preferably a Christian northerner, for the Vice President’s slot, the APC appears increasingly divided on its path forward.
Efforts to reach the Vice President’s media aides for comment were unsuccessful as of press time. Similarly, attempts to contact the spokesman for the APC chairman, Edwin Olofu, yielded no response.
