2027: APC Youths Insist on Tinubu–Shettima Ticket

The Concerned Northern APC Youth Forum has insisted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) must retain the Tinubu–Shettima presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that any attempt to alter the arrangement could undermine party unity and support in the North.

The forum, led by its chairman, Hon. Suleiman Liba, said its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 elections was strongly influenced by the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as vice president, describing the pairing as strategic, inclusive and nationally cohesive.

In a statement issued in Kano, the group cautioned some top party stakeholders against what it described as efforts to mislead the President on the sensitive issue of replacing the Vice President.

According to Liba, the Tinubu–Shettima ticket symbolised balance, competence and political continuity, values which, he said, resonated strongly with northern youths and contributed significantly to the APC’s electoral success in the region.

“Our support for Mr President was anchored on trust, balance and strategic political judgment. The Tinubu–Shettima ticket represented national cohesion. Any move to tamper with that understanding is unacceptable to us,” he said.

The forum rejected calls by what it termed self-serving political actors advocating the replacement of Vice President Shettima with a Northern Christian candidate, warning that such narratives were divisive and disconnected from political reality.

The group warned that any decision to drop Shettima would force it to reassess its allegiance to the APC, stressing that northern youths played a decisive role in mobilising grassroots support for the party during the 2023 elections.

“We started this journey together and intend to finish it together. We are looking forward to President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima completing this mandate side by side,” Liba added.

The forum urged President Tinubu to remain steadfast and ignore what it called misleading counsel, advising him to uphold the partnership that produced the Renewed Hope Agenda.

It also warned that those pushing for a change in the vice presidency should not expect the votes, goodwill and support of northern APC youths if such a move is carried out.

The Concerned Northern APC Youth Forum reaffirmed its commitment to democracy, party unity and national development, but said these must be pursued with fairness, trust and political integrity.