Despite the 2027 general election still being two years away, fresh tension is brewing within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima may be dropped as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate.

What was supposed to be a peaceful APC stakeholders' meeting in Gombe State on Sunday turned chaotic, as supporters of Vice President Shettima clashed with party leaders over what they see as a deliberate attempt to sideline him from the 2027 presidential ticket.

The event, held at the International Conference Centre in Gombe, was meant to reaffirm support for President Tinubu’s re-election. However, tempers flared when the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, ended his speech without mentioning Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate for 2027.

While calling for support for Tinubu’s second-term bid, Salihu said, “We have no business not supporting this party with all the juicy appointments and responsibilities given to us by this government. We want to reaffirm the endorsement of President Tinubu as the sole candidate for the 2027 election.”

This omission triggered immediate backlash from delegates, who began chanting “Shettima! Shettima!!” and accused Salihu of disrespecting the Vice President. The situation escalated into violence as angry party members hurled chairs and objects at Salihu, forcing him to flee the stage. A viral video shows one delegate hitting him with a chair, while another threw a plastic bucket at him.

Eyewitnesses said security personnel had to step in to stop the violence, but attempts to calm the crowd, including appeals from the Deputy National Chairman (North), Alhaji Bukar Dalori, were unsuccessful.

“This is a slap in the face for the North-East,” one angry delegate from Borno fumed. “How can our own son, the Vice President, be ignored like this? It’s a clear plan to edge him out and we won’t take it lightly.”

Before the chaos broke out, three APC governors from the region — Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe) — had all publicly supported the Tinubu-Shettima ticket. Governor Yahaya had declared, “The North-East is fully behind the President and the Vice President.”

But the tension resurfaced when APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, also stopped short of clearly confirming Shettima as part of the 2027 ticket. In his closing remarks, Ganduje said, “This zone has produced the number two citizen of this country. We are proud of this zone, proud of the North, and proud of Nigeria.” Though he added that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket is “one ticket,” his statement failed to satisfy the angry delegates.

Chants of “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East” filled the air, with some delegates even threatening to support opposition leader Atiku Abubakar if Shettima is dropped. “If this happens, I’ll lead my people to vote for Atiku,” one party chieftain from Adamawa declared.

The event ended in chaos as top APC leaders — including governors, ministers, senators, and House of Representatives members — hurriedly left the venue. Outside, police fired teargas to disperse the angry crowd gathered at the entrance, as tensions continued to rise.