A summit convened by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday for party stakeholders from Nigeria’s North-East geopolitical zone concluded on a tense note in Gombe State.
Delegates from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states were present, with key highlights including speeches from Governors Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), all of whom lauded President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, particularly commending his support for a northerner’s eight-year presidency.
The three governors collectively endorsed Tinubu for a second term, urging the northern region to reciprocate in 2027.
However, tensions escalated shortly after APC North-East Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, concluded his speech by naming Tinubu as the sole candidate for the upcoming election, neglecting to mention Vice President Kashim Shettima.
This noticeable omission sparked protests from some members, who demanded that the vice president be included in the endorsement.
An effort by Zulum to defuse the situation did little to alleviate the rising tempers. The disturbance intensified until security personnel intervened to restore order.
The party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, later addressed the audience, separately commending both Tinubu and Shettima, which contributed to easing the tension.
On May 22, 2025, 22 APC governors unanimously endorsed Tinubu as the APC candidate for the 2027 election. The governors also failed to mention the vice president during the endorsement.
However, Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, distanced himself from the endorsement of Tinubu for a second term in office.
He expressed sympathy for Tinubu, stating that former President Goodluck Jonathan had secured the endorsement of 22 governors from his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2015 election, yet he lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
