Zulum fumes as APC crisis deepens in the North East following Ganduje’s alleged sidelining of VP Shettima during party’s zonal meeting
Zulum fumes as APC crisis deepens in the North East after last week’s zonal meeting ended in disarray, with Governor Babagana Zulum confronting National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje over alleged disrespect to Vice President Kashim Shettima.
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The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) faced turmoil last week as its North-East zonal meeting descended into chaos, sparking internal tensions that could threaten its unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
Videos that surfaced from the meeting showed Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, visibly agitated.
He was captured raising his voice at APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in what appeared to be a fierce disagreement over the alleged exclusion of Vice President Kashim Shettima from key discussions and endorsements.
According to insiders, Ganduje and his delegation were accused of deliberately sidelining Shettima while pushing a second-term endorsement for President Bola Tinubu.
In protest, some supporters of the Vice President, including engineer Bashir Buba Muhammad, lashed out online.
Muhammad, a known Shettima loyalist, accused Ganduje of attempting to “steal” the vice presidential seat, comparing the move to the infamous “Kano dollar” scandal.
No Kashim, no APC in the North.
In a viral Facebook post, he quoted Zulum as allegedly stating, “No Kashim, no APC in the North.”
However, the Kano State chapter of the APC dismissed the allegations.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Ahmed S. Aruwa, told DAILY POST: “As far as I know, the APC Chairman has never spoken about wanting Kashim Shettima’s seat. We never discussed it, and he does not harbour such an intention.”
Aruwa claimed that Vice President Shettima’s future is ultimately President Tinubu’s decision, and said the accusations are part of a plot by rivals to destabilise the party.
“This is who they are — the Kwankwasiyya will try to cause chaos in the APC should they return to the party. That is why we would never welcome them back,” Aruwa added, referring to the political movement led by Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
Political analyst, Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge of Bayero University, Kano, described the incident as indicative of deeper rifts within the APC.
He warned that, while the party still has time to recover, any lingering division could be weaponised by the opposition ahead of 2027.
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“The opposition is watching. If the APC fails to resolve its internal contradictions quickly, it may find itself vulnerable in the next general election,” Fagge said.
