PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has formally retained Vice-President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election, putting to rest weeks of speculation over the composition of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
News Point Nigeria reports that Ibrahim Masari, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, submitted the nomination forms of Tinubu and Shettima to APC leaders on Friday at the Continental Hotel in Abuja, formally confirming the President’s decision ahead of the next general election.
The development comes amid widespread speculation that Tinubu could replace his deputy as part of broader political calculations ahead of the 2027 polls.
Rumours had intensified in recent weeks following the reluctance of some APC stakeholders, including political actors from the North-East, to publicly endorse Shettima’s return to the ticket.
Those pushing for a change had argued that the President might opt for a northern Christian as his vice-presidential candidate in a bid to reshape the party’s political strategy ahead of the election.
However, Friday’s submission effectively ended the uncertainty surrounding Shettima’s political future and reaffirmed the Tinubu-Shettima partnership that secured victory for the APC in the 2023 presidential election.
Among those present at the event were Governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano, Nasir Idris of Kebbi, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa and Babagana Zulum of Borno State.
Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors’ Forum, led the APC governors to the ceremony. Also in attendance were members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), lawmakers from the APC caucus in the National Assembly, members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and other party leaders and stakeholders.
The submission of the nomination forms marks the formal commencement of Tinubu’s bid for a second term under the APC platform, with Shettima once again completing the party’s presidential ticket.
Confirming the development, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, disclosed in a post on X that Tinubu had submitted his nomination form to the APC leadership as the party’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
“About now, at the Continental Hotel, Abuja, President Tinubu submits INEC nomination form to the APC NWC as Sole Presidential Candidate for the 2027 Elections,” Dare wrote.
He added: “President Bola Ahmad Tinubu has equally tapped Kashim Shettima, the current Vice President, Senator as his running mate for vice president in the 2027 election.”
