Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the North East, Mustapha Salihu, has broken his silence, denying that he did not fail to mention Vice President Kashim Shettima in his public endorsement of President Bola Tinubu during the party’s recent regional summit in Gombe.
He told Channels Television’s Politics Today, that his remarks were misunderstood, clarifying that there was no intention to sideline the vice president.
“In the last paragraph of my speech, just before the endorsement, I eulogised Kashim Shettima,” Salihu said.
“I referred to him as our son and made it clear that we in the North East are proud of him and stand by him.”
According to him, he also praised the National Security Adviser and other key appointees from the region, acknowledging Tinubu’s contributions to the North East.
“The President has given our region ministers, heads of agencies, and other federal appointments. I thanked him for that before moving on to the endorsement,” he said.
Salihu added that the structure of the party does not require a joint endorsement of both president and vice president during the primaries.
He argued that such endorsements are typically focused on the presidential candidate.
“In party politics, there is only one ticket at the primary level,” he explained. Whether it’s for the president, governor, or chairman of a council, the candidate emerges first. It is after that the choice of a running mate is made.”
He noted that this is why governors like Mai Mala Buni and Inuwa Yahaya also endorsed Tinubu without mentioning Shettima, even though they paid glowing tributes to him.
Salihu said by not mentioning Shettima’s name at first was not meant to instigate tension between Tinubu and Shettima.
He said it was a mere speculation, adding that “these are the usual distractions from conflict entrepreneurs. Party affairs are not run on social media or television. The real work is done internally.”
According to him, rumours of a rift between the president and vice president were not new in Nigerian politics, saying “in every administration, people always try to sow discord between the president and his vice. It’s a game for those who feel insecure politically. But we are not moved by such noise.”
Salihu said the omission did not spark discontent across the North East, adding that he had robust discussions with stakeholders from various states before the event.
“I am in Yola right now. I have spoken with members from Taraba, Bauchi, Yobe, and Gombe. We spent the night before the summit strategising. Everything we did was within the law and the party’s guidelines”, he noted.
He described as premature any attempt to suggest who should be on the 2027 presidential ticket.
“There is only one ticket. To suggest a running mate at this stage is to put the cart before the horse. It is the prerogative of the presidential candidate, not ours.”
Commotion erupted at the summit in Gombe thus leading to an abrupt ending of the event.
Some party members disrupted proceedings after Salihu’s endorsement of Tinubu omitted the name of the vice president. The intervention of security operatives was required after efforts by Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum failed to restore calm.
In reaction to that earlier event, Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South distanced himself from the endorsement, warning that such actions could backfire politically.
“I pity Tinubu,” Ndume had said. “Endorsements do not always translate into re-election. We must tread carefully.”
Salihu maintained that no one was pressured into endorsing Tinubu and rejected claims of political coercion at the Gombe event.
“There was no threat. Nobody forced anyone. We all agreed and followed the process as outlined by the party”, he submitted.
He said the party was currently reviewing the disruptions, adding that some chieftains may be asked to apologise publicly within 48 hours.
