Why I endorsed Tinubu,omitted Shettima – APC Northeast National Vice Chairman

Mustapha Salihu, the National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has explained why his public endorsement of President Bola Tinubu did not include Vice President Kashim Shettima, amidst mounting internal conflict within the party.

Salihu, who spoke on Monday, said that his decision to omit Shettima’s name during the endorsement at Sunday’s APC North-East conference in Gombe was consistent with party convention and constitutional constraints.

“In my entire speech—the penultimate paragraph before the endorsement—I praised Kashim Shettima, identifying him as our son and expressing our support for him as citizens of the North-East.

“I also appreciated the national security adviser as our son, whom we are proud of, and acknowledged all the ministers and parastatals given to North-East indigenes, thanking Asiwaju [Tinubu] for as the sole presidential candidate,” he told reporters.

Salihu emphasised that during party primaries, the endorsement procedure only applies to presidential candidates, not running mates.

“In party politics, there is just one primary ticket: executive chairman, local government chairman, governors, and president. Our constitution contains no provision allowing for the endorsement of a combined ticket at that level.

“After the primaries, when a contender emerges, he selects a running mate. “That choice remains the constitutional prerogative of the presidential candidate, even if consultations may take place,” he stated.

He claimed this rationale explained why governors like Mai Mala Buni of Yobe and Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe sponsored Tinubu but did not endorse Shettima, while praising the vice president as “our own”.

When asked about allegations of a schism between the president and his vice president, Salihu dismissed them as distractions fostered by “conflict entrepreneurs”.

“The administration of a party is not run on social media, newspapers, or television; it is handled internally,” he stated.

“These kinds of rumours are unavoidable in any administration—people will constantly try to create conflict between the principal and the vice. This is what some insecure politicians live on. But if you are confident in yourself, you should not be troubled by such chatter.”

Salihu dismissed worries that missing Shettima’s name from the endorsement would spark unrest in the North-East, stating that “anybody saying there’s discontent is simply wrong.”

“I am in Yola.” I’ve interacted with people from Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, and Yobe. “We all stayed up the night before the summit to brainstorm,” he explained.

“We did what the law allowed by naming and appreciating our son. Other zones did not have that responsibility. We don’t have a vice-presidential ticket to offer; there is only one ticket: president. Endorsing Tinubu under certain conditions would have been improper.”

He added that recommending Tinubu’s running mate would be “putting the cart before the horse.”

Meanwhile, Sunday’s APC North-East gathering in Gombe ended in chaos when Salihu’s support sparked protests from party members who questioned the vice president’s absence.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum’s efforts to restore peace were ineffective, prompting security personnel to intervene.

Tensions subsided as APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje addressed the audience and praised both Tinubu and Shettima individually.

Notably, the endorsement came after a similar one on May 22, when 22 APC governors named Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election—again, without naming the vice president.

However, Borno South Senator Ali Ndume openly distanced himself from the endorsement, claiming that he “pitied Tinubu” and cautioning that such endorsements do not necessarily ensure re-election.

Salihu also refuted allegations of coercion at the Gombe conference, stating, “No one was threatened to toe a particular line.”

He also suggested on the show about ongoing investigations into the incident and stated that he expected public apologies within 48 hours.