Last week was wild for the APC as its North-East zonal meeting ended in crisis.
Videos that surfaced after the meeting showed Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, visibly unhappy with how the gathering went.
The APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his team were accused of deliberately shunning Vice President Kashim Shettima while endorsing President Bola Tinubu’s second term in office.
In some of the videos, Zulum was seen almost shouting at Ganduje. Though the APC Chairman remained seated, it appeared to be a heated disagreement, particularly on the part of the governor.
Later, supporters of Kashim Shettima, including Engr. Bashir Buba Muhammad and other staunch allies did not take Ganduje’s alleged sidelining of the VP lightly.
In a series of posts on his Facebook page, Muhammad accused Ganduje of trying to “steal” the VP slot, just as he had allegedly stolen Kano dollars — even re-posting the famous Kano dollar video saga.
In another post, he quoted Zulum as saying, “No Kashim, no APC in the North.”
However, the Kano State chapter of the APC has refuted claims that Ganduje is looking to grab Shettima’s seat.
Speaking to a source from DAILY POST, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Ahmed S. Aruwa, said:
“As far as I know, the APC Chairman has never spoken about wanting Kashim Shettima’s seat. We never discussed it, and he does not harbour such an intention.”
He added that the Vice President’s position is to be determined by President Bola Tinubu himself, and there is still time to decide.
He accused the supporters of Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of exaggerating the issue, adding, “They have been trying to capitalise on a loophole in the APC but found none.
“This is who they are — the Kwankwasiyya will try to cause chaos in the APC should they return to the party. That is why we would never welcome them back.”
Meanwhile, political analyst Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge of Bayero University, Kano, spoke to newsmen on the issue.
He said the incident signifies a deeper problem within the APC, which could lead to major challenges ahead of the 2027 polls.
Professor Fagge added that although there is still time, the situation could signal a crack the opposition might exploit.
