In a move sending ripples across Nigeria’s political landscape, multiple high-ranking sources within the ruling All-Progressives Congress (APC) have confirmed to Huhuonline.com that President Bola Tinubu is actively reviewing a list of potential running mates for the 2027 general elections – a development that casts fresh uncertainty over the future of Vice President Kashim Shettima. Though Shettima remains officially in office and has been dispatched on various national and international diplomatic and ceremonial errands on behalf of the President in recent months, insiders say his inclusion on the 2027 ticket is far from assured.
Though no official rift has been declared, multiple party sources indicate a cooling of relations between President Tinubu and his deputy. While Shettima continues to publicly represent the presidency at high-profile events, insiders whisper that he has yet to fully earn Tinubu’s trust or demonstrate the leadership clout expected of a second-in-command in Nigeria’s complex political terrain. “There’s a growing feeling,” one senior APC strategist told Huhuonline.com, “that Shettima is a placeholder – useful now, but not necessarily part of the long game.” According to several party officials and aides familiar with the internal deliberations, the President has not closed the door on alternatives to Shettima, and is instead weighing a range of options from across Nigeria’s political, religious, and regional blocs. President Tinubu is in evaluation mode,” a senior APC strategist told Huhuonline.com. “He’s examining electoral performance data, public sentiment, and internal party dynamics. Every name being floated is being seriously considered.”
While the presidency has not confirmed any of the names on the evolving shortlist, sources indicate the following are under quiet but serious review: From the Northern Governors’ Circle – Mai Mala Buni (Yobe State), Uba Sani (Kaduna State), Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe State), Dikko Radda (Katsina State). The legislative heavyweights on the shortlist include: Tajudeen Abass (Speaker of the House of Representatives) and Barau Jibrin (Deputy Senate President). Other northern political outsiders with influence, include Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano and Northern kingmaker. The 2027 VP shortlist also has potential Christian possibilities for balancing the ticket in the persons of Yakubu Dogara, former House Speaker, and Rev. Dr. Yakubu Pam, an influential Christian cleric from the North
One of the biggest shadows hanging over the Vice President’s future is the lingering controversy over the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which some within and outside the APC now consider a strategic liability. Party insiders argue that the ticket, while functional in 2023, did not generate the sweeping support in southern Christian constituencies that many had hoped for. “2027 may require recalibration, especially given the challenges this administration is facing on the economic and security fronts,” said a political analyst with ties to the APC campaign team. Sources close to the President point to several factors driving the review: especially the significant criticism that the Muslim-Muslim ticket failed to reflect Nigeria’s religious diversity.
Analysts argue that the administration underperformed in Christian-majority regions, especially in the South. Another driving factor behind the whispers of a Shettima exit is a growing sense of Northern disillusionment with Tinubu’s presidency. Critics from the North have voiced frustration over what they call “Southwest bias” in appointments, as well as inadequate attention to the region’s worsening security crisis. “Shettima hasn’t built a strong political firewall in the North,” a northern APC stalwart confided to Huhuonline.com. “He lacks the machinery to guarantee northern votes in 2027. The party may need a vice-presidential candidate with more sway in the grassroots.” Most importantly, Shettima’s standing: though respected in some quarters, Shettima has faced internal criticism for what some party insiders describe as a lack of initiative and limited influence in expanding APC’s reach in the North.
For Tinubu, the decision is a delicate one. Choosing a new running mate could strengthen his hand electorally, particularly with a religiously balanced or more influential Northern candidate, but risks alienating Shettima’s supporters in the North-East, a region critical to APC’s national footprint. At the same time, loyalists within the party continue to defend the Tinubu-Shettima alliance. Groups like the North-East APC Forum and Arewa 19 Pyramid for Grassroots Development have both thrown their weight behind a renewed Tinubu-Shettima ticket for 2027, warning against perceived attempts to sow discord within the presidency.
Sources within Aso Rock also maintain that the President and his Vice remain on good terms, pointing to the strong working relationship between First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and Nana Shettima as evidence of enduring alliance at the top. “This talk of replacing Shettima is speculative at best,” said a senior aide in the Presidency. “The President is focused on governance. 2027 politics will come after the convention.”
The APC has confirmed that Tinubu has not endorsed any ticket or campaign ahead of the party’s national convention, where he is expected to officially announce his running mate. Tinubu is expected to officially announce his running mate after the APC national convention, which has yet to be scheduled. Until then, Kashim Shettima remains Vice President – but perhaps more in title than in trust. Whether he is being kept close as an ally or managed as a liability remains a matter of intense speculation within the corridors of power. This speculation is likely to intensify, and Shettima’s political fate will remain one of the most closely watched subplots in the countdown to 2027. Whether he survives or is replaced by a fresh face, the message from Aso Rock is clear: every option is on the table, and nothing is guaranteed.
