…reaffirms APC Youth Parliament’s full support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket
BAUCHI, NIGERIA – The iNews Times reports that the All Progressives Congress APC Youth Parliament in the North-East zone has issued a stern warning against circulating speculations that Vice President Kashim Shettima could be replaced ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing the move as politically suicidal for the ruling party.
Addressing a press conference in Bauchi on Friday, the APC Youth Parliament’s Chairman, Kabiru Kobi, stated that any attempt to tamper with the current presidential ticket would destabilise the APC and weaken President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election prospects.
Kobi said the rumoured plans to substitute Vice President Shettima have sown seeds of uncertainty within the party, risking internal division that could mirror the internal implosion that cost the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the presidency in 2015.
“We want to state it unequivocally clear that any attempt to reconfigure the joint ticket of His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima in 2027 will only bring resentment that could linger beyond the elections, with negative reverberations capable of affecting the party’s success,” Kobi warned.
He argued that Shettima remains a stabilising figure within the party and that removing him would be seen as an injustice by supporters in the North and beyond.
“It is far from hidden that the ghost of the PDP’s past actions still haunts the party today –history has little patience for those who choose to ignore its lessons,” he said. “Should we ignore all the lessons of history and allow excessive ambition to cloud the reasoning of key players, ignoring the dangers ahead?”
Kobi further alleged that those pushing for Shettima’s replacement are indirectly targeting President Tinubu himself.
“At this juncture, we wish to inform His Excellency, our popular and charismatic leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the calculated attacks are not truly aimed at the Vice President but at you. What these assailants are trying to achieve by this hypocrisy is to replace Kashim Shettima with someone of a fragile political reputation,” he stated.
According to the youth leader, Shettima’s political maturity and willingness to sacrifice personal ambition for party unity make him indispensable.
“They know fully well that the Vice President would pacify his supporters to leave everything to God, and that would leave you to face the wrath of the Nigerian populace. This is because – in His just nature – God dislikes injustice,” he added.
Kobi reaffirmed the APC Youth Parliament’s full support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in 2027, describing it as “tested and trusted.” He also called on party stakeholders to avoid self-inflicted wounds and focus on building a united front.
The APC Youth Parliament vowed to continue mobilising youth support across the country and urged APC leaders to be wary of internal saboteurs who may exploit internal tensions to derail the party’s future.
