APC National Vice Chairman Mustapha Salihu, recently attacked in Gombe, asserts President Tinubu’s constitutional right to pick his 2027 running mate, dismissing rift rumors
APC Vice Chairman Attack in Gombe has thrust the discussion of the 2027 presidential elections with into sharper focus.
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Two days after narrowly escaping a violent mob attack at the All Progressives Congress (APC) North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, the party’s National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, affirmed on Monday that President Bola Tinubu holds the constitutional authority to choose his running mate for the 2027 elections.
Salihu, who was attacked on stage during the event after allegedly omitting Vice President Kashim Shettima’s name in his endorsement speech for Tinubu, made these comments during a live appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today.”
“There is no such thing as a joint ticket during party primaries,” Salihu stated. “Only the presidential candidate emerges, and it is entirely his prerogative to choose a running mate — after he becomes the flagbearer.”
He emphasized that while party consultations are typical, the final decision remains solely with the presidential candidate.
“Even though the party and stakeholders may be consulted, constitutionally, it is solely the candidate’s right,” Salihu reiterated.
Addressing the controversy that spiralled into Sunday’s chaos, Salihu vehemently denied deliberately excluding Vice President Shettima from his speech.
He claimed that the portion praising the Vice President was delivered before the incident occurred.
“The last paragraph of my speech before the fracas was dedicated to eulogising Kashim Shettima,” Salihu clarified.
“I said he is our son and that we in the North-East stand solidly behind him.” He also praised other key government appointees from the North-East, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and thanked Tinubu for their appointments.
“It’s on record. I spoke about all of them before endorsing Asiwaju as the party’s sole candidate,” he added.
Salihu dismissed speculations of a rift between President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima, accusing what he termed “political opportunists” of fueling discord within the party.
“Some people thrive on creating tension. We call them ‘crisis entrepreneurs’ — they manipulate situations like this to create confusion and benefit from it,” he asserted. He added that “These rumours are inevitable, especially as elections draw near.”
He urged party members and the public not to fall for what he called “conspiracy theories” circulating on social media.
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“Party business isn’t conducted on the platforms of social media or pages of newspapers. We operate through the party office. These rumours are simply not reflective of the reality within the party,” Salihu concluded.
