National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has secured broad endorsement from party stakeholders to seek re-election in 2027, but discussions about his running mate remain premature.
Speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Television Friday, Basiru confirmed that party members across the board have rallied behind Tinubu based on his “track record,” as showcased at the recent APC national summit held at the Presidential Villa.
“A large spectrum of stakeholders in our party have overwhelmingly given endorsement to Mr President,” Basiru stated.
“As far as we are concerned, the national summit held in the Presidential Villa has endorsed Mr President based on his track record.”
However, controversy surrounds the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, whose name was omitted from the endorsement during the APC North-East stakeholders’ summit in Gombe on June 15, sparking protests from some attendees. Basiru, who was present at the Gombe summit, downplayed the dispute, calling it a normal feature of democratic politics.
“Some people in the North-East felt it was enough to endorse the President and allow him to decide his running mate,” he said.
“Others felt the Vice President, being from the North-East, should also be endorsed at the summit.” He clarified that while the APC national convention selects the presidential candidate, the choice of running mate is the candidate’s prerogative not a party decision.
“As far as our party is concerned, we have not made any statement or got ourselves involved in the politics of the North-East,” Basiru added. The unfolding internal dynamics reflect the early jockeying for influence within APC ranks ahead of the 2027 race, with questions surrounding Vice President Shettima’s political future now taking center stage.
