Sources have claimed that President Bola Tinubu is planning to replace Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 presidential race to gain support in regions where he faces resistance.

The rumour that Tinubu might consider replacing Shettima as his running mate ahead of the next general elections reached a boiling point on Sunday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe. What was meant to be a show of unity rapidly descended into chaos.

Eyewitnesses told Punch that tensions flared when APC National Vice Chairman (North-East) Mustapha Salihu concluded his remarks endorsing Tinubu for a second term without mentioning Vice President Shettima.

His omission sparked fury among party delegates. In a now-viral video, enraged attendees began chanting “Shettima! Shettima!!” before chaos erupted.

One supporter stormed the stage and struck Salihu with a chair, while another hurled a plastic bucket at him as he fled the venue under the protection of security personnel.

The violence was not an isolated outburst. Moments later, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje delivered his closing remarks but failed to explicitly mention Shettima.

His silence only deepened suspicions, fueling chants of “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East.”

Multiple sources within the APC told the publication mentioned above that talks of a potential replacement stem from political calculations aimed at realignment ahead of 2027, echoing Tinubu’s past strategy in Lagos.

One source said the idea is to shore up support in regions where the APC currently faces resistance, though no concrete decisions have been made.

“The President is weighing the options,” the source hinted.

Still, the source acknowledged the blowback from the Northeast, a region that delivered critical votes in 2023 and views Shettima as a key representative voice.