The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima may be removed as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election, calling the reports “purely speculative, untrue and utterly baseless.”
In a statement on Monday, January 26, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said the party was responding to a “growing media frenzy” over suggestions that Shettima could be substituted.
“While these stories have been mostly subtle, they recently assumed a new dimension when names of specific individuals were touted as possible replacements for Vice President Shettima,” the statement said.
The party warned media organisations against giving space to unverified reports, urging caution against “rumour-peddlers and mischievous ‘news sources’ of questionable provenance whose only intention is to promote discord and confusion in the polity.”
“Our Party states in categorical terms that the stories are purely speculative, untrue and utterly baseless,” the statement added.
Morka further emphasised that political activities remain restricted under existing laws and electoral regulations, and that the APC is currently focused on governance.
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“At this time, our Party remains focused on supporting President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima in delivering the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and entrenching its bold reforms that are now steadily transforming the economy, building prosperity, and uplifting the living conditions of our people,” the statement said.
The party also called on ministers, senior government officials, and party leaders to refrain from stoking speculation, urging them instead to “focus on their primary duty of diligent service to government and our Party” and to bolster “the success and achievements of President Tinubu, our inimitable and visionary leader.”
The clarification comes shortly after Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, warned that dropping Shettima could cost the APC critical northern states.
“If there is no Hausa, Fulani or Kanuri Muslim on that ticket, it creates a hurdle. That is the reality of the way people think,” Musawa said on the Mic On Show, adding that northern voters are deeply attuned to identity and representation in politics.
She stressed that any reshuffle of the APC ticket “is a problem” and reflects a misunderstanding of northern political dynamics.