All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied reports claiming that President Tinubu will be dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima, as his running mate in the 2027 general elections.

 

 

 

APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said this in a statement released on January 26, while reacting to a recent interview the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, granted in which she warned that APC could drastically weaken its chances in the 2027 presidential election if it dropped Shettima or did not pick a northern Muslim to run with Tinubu in his re-election bid.

 

 

 

Musawa’s comments came amid rising speculation that the ruling party might consider altering the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket that powered APC to victory in the 2023 elections.

 

 

 

“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 had said

 

 

 

However, in the statement released on Monday, January 6, Morka said the speculations of Shettima getting dropped is ‘’purely speculative, untrue, and utterly baseless”. He called on ministers, senior government and party officials to avoid, wittingly or unwittingly, stoking needless speculations, and to focus on their primary duty of diligent service to government and their party.

 

 

 

The statement in part reads;

 

“Our attention has been drawn to the growing media frenzy about possible replacement of Vice President Kashim Shettima as the running mate to President Bola Tinubu under the platform of our great party ahead of the 2027 general election.

 

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.

 

Our party states in categorical terms that the stories are purely speculative, untrue and utterly baseless.

 

We urge media organisations to refrain from lending their platforms to rumour-peddlers and mischievous ‘news sources’ of questionable provenance whose only intention is to promote discord and confusion in the polity.”

 

 

 

Morka stressed that under the country’s laws and electoral regulations, the ban on political activities remained in force.

 

 

 

“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 further read