GOMBE, Nigeria — A summit of stakeholders of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State descended into disorder on Sunday, June 15, 2025, after key party officials endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term without acknowledging Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
The disruption began during a speech by Mustapha Salihu, APC national vice-chairman (North-East), who publicly declared Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
However, Salihu’s failure to mention Vice-President Shettima sparked outrage among attendees.
Chants and shouts quickly erupted from the crowd, with some delegates issuing verbal threats and disrupting the event.
Salihu was removed from the venue under tight security as the situation escalated.
In an apparent attempt to restore calm, APC deputy national chairman Bukar Dalori addressed the gathering, offering a joint endorsement of Tinubu and Shettima for second terms.
Despite the move, tensions remained high and the mood in the hall grew more unsettled.
The situation deteriorated further when Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC national chairman, delivered a ten-minute speech endorsing only President Tinubu—again omitting Shettima’s name.
The speech reignited the unrest, prompting security officials to escort Ganduje from the venue for his safety.
Videos circulating on social media captured scenes of chaos, with delegates shouting and the summit ending abruptly.
The incident comes amid lingering speculation over Vice-President Shettima’s standing within the presidency.
On Saturday, April 19, 2025, the presidency was forced to issue a formal rebuttal to rumours that Shettima had been barred from accessing the presidential villa.
In a statement, Stanley Nkwocha, senior special assistant to the president on media and communications (Office of the Vice-President), dismissed the claims as “a deliberate and well-planned orchestration of falsehood”.
