The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports suggesting that Vice President Kashim Shettima may be replaced as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing the claims as speculative, unfounded and false.
The party was responding to media reports insinuating that the ruling party was considering a review of the Muslim–Muslim ticket that secured victory in the 2023 presidential election.
In a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC said it had observed a “growing media frenzy” around an alleged plan to substitute the Vice President.
Morka noted that while the reports initially appeared subtle, they had recently escalated, with specific individuals being named as potential replacements for Shettima.
The APC cautioned media organisations against amplifying unverified claims, warning that such reports were capable of sowing division and confusion in the polity.
“Our party states in categorical terms that the stories are purely speculative, untrue and utterly baseless,” the statement said. “We urge media organisations to refrain from lending their platforms to rumour-peddlers and mischievous ‘news sources’ of questionable provenance whose sole aim is to promote discord.”
The ruling party also stressed that political activities remain restricted under existing laws and electoral regulations, noting that it was not engaged in any succession or ticket-related discussions.
“Under our laws and electoral regulations, the ban on political activities remains in force,” Morka said, adding that the party’s priority was governance, not electoral permutations.
“At this time, our party remains focused on supporting President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda and consolidating the bold reforms that are steadily transforming the economy and improving the lives of Nigerians,” the statement added.
The APC further warned its ministers, senior government officials and party leaders to refrain from comments that could fuel unnecessary speculation or distract from governance.
“We call on our ministers, senior government and party officials to avoid, wittingly or unwittingly, stoking needless speculations, and to focus on their primary duty of diligent service to government and party,” Morka said.
The statement came hours after the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, cautioned that the APC could lose key northern states in 2027 if it alters the Tinubu–Shettima ticket.
Musawa spoke during an episode of Mic On Show with journalist Seun Okinbaloye, published on YouTube on Sunday.
She warned that removing Shettima or failing to retain a northern Muslim running mate would significantly weaken the party’s electoral strength in the core North.
“If there is no Hausa, Fulani or Kanuri Muslim on that ticket, it creates a hurdle. That is the reality of the way people think,” Musawa said.
According to her, politics in northern Nigeria is deeply influenced by identity, history and voter mobilisation, making the region particularly sensitive to changes in political representation.
“The core northern states—Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Sokoto—understand politics at a very deep level. Politics is a way of life. People wait every four years to line up and vote because that is where they feel they have influence,” she said.
Musawa dismissed suggestions that the APC could alter its presidential ticket without consequences, warning that such views underestimate the complexities of northern political dynamics.
“If we toy with changing the construct of what we have now, it is a problem. Those who think otherwise may not fully understand how politics works in the North,” she added.
