APC confirms President Tinubu’s endorsement for 2027 re-election but says his running mate will be decided closer to the general election
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly secured the support of a large majority of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders to seek re-election in 2027.
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However, discussions about his running mate, Vice President Kashim Shettima, have yet to begin, according to party leadership.
“Mr President has overwhelming endorsement from party stakeholders, but the question of running mate is not on the table yet,” said APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, during a live appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday.
Basiru, a former Senate spokesman, explained that the decision on who will be Tinubu’s running mate would come after the party’s national convention—typically held a year before the general election.
“As far as our party is concerned, we have not made any statement or got involved in the politics of the North-East. The running mate question will be considered at the appropriate time,” he said.
Controversy surfaced during an APC North-East stakeholders’ summit on 15 June 2025, in Gombe State, where APC North-East Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, declared Tinubu as the party’s sole presidential candidate but failed to mention Vice President Shettima.
This omission caused mild protests among party members from the region.
Basiru, who attended the summit in person, downplayed the incident, calling it a healthy expression of opinion in a democratic setting.
Mr President has overwhelming endorsement from party stakeholders, but the question of running mate is not on the table yet.
“There were two schools of thought. Some believed endorsing the President was sufficient, while others felt the Vice President deserved explicit mention, especially since the summit was held in the North-East,” he explained.
In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu, a former Lagos governor, won on a joint ticket with Shettima, a former Borno State governor. The pair were sworn in on 29 May 2023 after defeating the opposition.
Further fuelling the debate, 22 APC governors unanimously endorsed Tinubu for the 2027 race on 22 May 2025, also without mentioning Shettima.
While the endorsement strengthened Tinubu’s standing within the party, it stirred concerns among some Northern stakeholders.
Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South openly distanced himself from the endorsement, warning that political endorsements do not always translate to electoral success.
“I pity Tinubu,” Ndume said, drawing parallels with former President Goodluck Jonathan, who lost his 2015 re-election bid despite widespread support from 22 governors of the then-ruling PDP.
As Nigeria edges closer to the 2027 election cycle, the APC appears unified behind Tinubu’s candidacy.
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Still, the omission of the Vice President in multiple endorsements raises questions about internal dynamics that may shape the eventual ticket.
