From Victor Osula, Abuja
With Saturday, July 11 as deadline for political parties to comply with the Electoral Act 2026 on the nominate presidential and National Assembly, President Bola Tinubu has formally unveiling Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate and reaffirming the partnership that secured the party’s victory in the 2023 presidential poll.
Tinubu’s decision was conveyed on Friday through his Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Ibrahim Masari, during a meeting of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and key party stakeholders at the Continental Hotel in Abuja.
Masari presented President Tinubu’s nomination form to the APC leadership and simultaneously submitted Shettima’s nomination form, officially confirming the Vice President as the President’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
The announcement lays to rest sustained speculation over the fate of the Vice President, following months of reports suggesting that Tinubu was weighing the option of replacing Shettima with a northern Christian in a bid to reshape the ruling party’s ticket ahead of the next election.
Friday’s development represents the clearest indication yet that the President has chosen continuity over political recalibration, retaining the Tinubu-Shettima ticket despite intense public debate surrounding its religious composition since the 2023 election.
The ceremony was attended by members of the APC National Working Committee, some governors and members of the National Assembly elected on the party’s platform, and other senior party officials, who witnessed the formal presentation of the nomination documents.
The event was attended by members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the APC National Working Committee (NWC), state chairmen of the party and several APC governorship candidates.
Speaking during the ceremony, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, described the event as the formal submission of the duly completed nomination forms of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Argungu recalled that Tinubu had earlier emerged the APC’s presidential flag bearer through what he described as a transparent primary process, urging members to remain united behind the party’s leadership and continue praying for the success of both the administration and the country.
He also commended President Tinubu for what he termed the remarkable achievements of his administration, saying the party remained committed to building on its electoral successes.
Following the submission, Argungu formally handed over the names of Tinubu and Shettima to the APC National Chairman for onward processing and transmission to INEC.
Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed the unwavering support of the Progressive Governors’ Forum for President Tinubu, Vice President Shettima and the party leadership.
“We are delighted that this event is coming after a well-organised and thoroughly supervised primary process. We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting President Tinubu and the party”, Uzodimma said.
He described the APC as a party founded on internal democracy and inclusiveness, pledging that its governors would work collectively to ensure victory for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket and all APC candidates in the 2027 general election.
“We will continue to support him in the larger interest of Nigerians and to take the country to greater heights. To the National Working Committee, we reaffirm our support. Together, we are going to deliver victory for President Tinubu and ensure the party wins all elective positions, including the National and State Assemblies”, he added.
In his remarks, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the formal presentation of the nomination forms reflected the overwhelming confidence reposed in President Tinubu by the party’s millions of members.
“Today is a reflection of the wishes of over 12 million members of our party who supported the President’s candidature. We are proud of the support already in the kitty of President Tinubu, and we are convinced that many more Nigerians will vote for him”, Yilwatda said.
He highlighted several achievements of the Tinubu administration, including the student loan scheme, agricultural interventions and infrastructure projects, arguing that they had positively impacted lives across the country.
Yilwatda urged Ibrahim Masari to convey the confidence of the party leadership to the President, saying APC members remained firmly behind his re-election bid.
“Go and tell the leader of our party that our members and Nigerians will vote for him to continue the excellent work he is doing”, he said.
The APC chairman also charged party members to return to their respective communities and campaign with facts, rather than rhetoric.
“While others are busy spreading propaganda, let us counter them with facts. Nigerians have seen governance that touches lives across the six geopolitical zones”, he stated.
Expressing confidence ahead of the 2027 elections, Yilwatda said the APC remained the only political party with a verified membership register, which he put at about 12 million members.
“We already have about 12 million verified members. We are going round the country to mobilise support for the President. I am also confident that our governors will compete among themselves to deliver the highest number of votes. As a party, we are proud to be presenting the best candidate. There is no shaking at all. Come 2027, our victory is assured”, he declared.
Also speaking after the event, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, dismissed lingering doubts over the party’s ticket, saying the APC had officially settled the matter.
“The presidential candidate of the party is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and our vice-presidential candidate is the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima”, Morka told journalists.
Friday’s announcement effectively ends months of political speculation and signals the APC’s decision to retain the Tinubu-Shettima ticket as it prepares for what is expected to be a fiercely contested 2027 presidential election.
