Gombe Crisis: Zulum, Ndume Demand Shettima’s Inclusion as Ganduje Endorses Tinubu Alone

16th June 2025

As political momentum builds toward the 2027 general elections, a storm is brewing within the All Progressives Congress (APC)—not from rival parties, but from within its own Northern stronghold. A high-stakes APC North-East stakeholders’ meeting held in Gombe has triggered deep unease, controversy, and open revolt after the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was visibly excluded from endorsements for the 2027 ticket.

While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was lavishly endorsed by the APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, a deliberate and unsettling silence surrounded the Vice President—despite his presence and status as the party’s second-in-command.

Gombe Meeting Turns Sour: A Political Miscalculation?

The Gombe summit was intended to project unity and showcase APC’s resolve in the North-East, a region instrumental in Tinubu’s 2023 victory. However, it quickly spiraled into disarray. Posters bore only Tinubu’s image, and no speaker, including Ganduje, acknowledged Shettima’s place in 2027. The omission sent shockwaves across the North-East political class.

Delegates began to murmur. Then, chants erupted. The summit—meant to unify—descended into a symbolic rebellion. Ganduje and other top APC officials had to be escorted out as angry stakeholders demanded explanations.

Zulum Speaks: “Shettima Is Not an Afterthought”

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Shettima’s home base and political ally, could no longer keep quiet. Taking the podium, Zulum issued a clear and firm warning:

“We supported Tinubu–Shettima in 2023 not out of desperation but out of strategy. Shettima is not an afterthought. The North-East deserves clarity, not silence.”

Zulum emphasized that it was Shettima’s regional credibility and loyalty that balanced the 2023 ticket—and that to erase him now is not only politically dangerous but deeply disrespectful.

Ganduje’s Selective Endorsement: What It Means

Dr. Ganduje, the APC National Chairman, had one message: support Tinubu for 2027. No mention of Shettima. No reaffirmation of the Tinubu–Shettima mandate. His calculated silence led to growing suspicion that the party may be reconfiguring the top ticket without consultation or respect for the North-East’s role.

This is in stark contrast to Ganduje’s 2022 comments when he called Shettima “one of the best Vice Presidential choices Nigeria could ever have.” That praise seems to have been shelved in favor of a solo Tinubu narrative.

Visual Exclusion: Where Is Shettima on the Posters?

Tinubu’s re-election posters are now flooding cities nationwide—but with no image, name, or nod to Shettima. For party members and supporters in the North-East, the message is loud and clear:

“We’re being sidelined.”

In Nigerian politics, such omissions are rarely accidental—they are strategic. And in this case, the perceived snub has lit a fuse.

Ndume Warns: “You May Have the Endorsements, But We Have the Votes”

Senator Ali Ndume, a fiery Shettima loyalist and one of the North-East’s most vocal political actors, minced no words during the Gombe uproar:

“They may parade endorsements, but we hold the votes. If Shettima is ignored, don’t expect blind loyalty.”

Ndume’s words struck a chord, echoed across youth groups, traditional rulers, and APC grassroots coordinators across the North-East.

What’s at Stake for the APC?

The North-East delivered millions of votes for APC in 2023. If alienated now, the repercussions could shatter APC’s core northern bloc. Without a clear, inclusive roadmap for 2027, the party risks:

• Voter apathy or mass defection in Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, and Adamawa.
• Internal rebellion among Shettima loyalists.
• A fractured northern coalition, which the opposition would be quick to exploit.

Conclusion: Memory and Mandate

In politics, memory matters. Loyalty must be mutual. Kashim Shettima stood with Tinubu at a time when others wavered. He brought balance, credibility, and critical votes.

To now erase his contribution is more than unjust—it’s unwise.

The APC must choose: silence and division, or clarity and unity. Either way, the North-East is watching—and it’s not afraid to walk away.