The All Progressives Congress (APC) has refuted speculation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may drop Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party described the rumours as baseless and politically driven.

Although President Tinubu has yet to make a formal declaration regarding his second-term ambition, many party loyalists and supporters have begun rallying around him in preparation for a possible campaign.

Party speaks on alleged rift

As reported by Daily Trust, the APC’s national director of publicity, Alhaji Bala Ibrahim, said there is no truth to claims of discord between the President and his deputy.

“This is nothing but idle gossip with no substance. These talks are the type you hear in beer parlours, and they shouldn’t be taken seriously,” Ibrahim stated.

He stressed that even in a hypothetical scenario, replacing a vice president would require wide-ranging consultations within the party, Leadership reported.

“No president can unilaterally remove or replace a vice president. Such a decision must go through extensive discussions with key stakeholders,” he added.

North Central demands political inclusion

In a separate development, leaders from Nigeria’s North Central region have renewed calls for the presidency or vice presidency to be zoned to their region in the next election cycle.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Professor Nghargbu K’tso, alongside representatives from Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kogi states, urged political parties—especially the APC—to consider the region for one of the top two positions.

“If President Tinubu is granted the right of first refusal for the party’s presidential ticket, then justice demands that the vice-presidential slot be given to the North Central,” K’tso said.

He highlighted the region’s long-standing exclusion from the presidency and vice presidency since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999.

“Of the six geopolitical zones, only the North Central and South East have not produced either a president or vice president in the past 26 years,” he noted.

He also argued that the South East had at least produced a vice president in the Second Republic, referring to Dr Alex Ekwueme’s tenure from 1979 to 1983.

APC rejects zoning calls for now

Reacting to the regional demand, the APC’s Bala Ibrahim dismissed it as unrealistic, saying the party would not entertain zoning discussions at this stage.

“North Central cannot treat the presidency or vice presidency as an entitlement, especially considering their relatively lower voting numbers compared to regions like the North West,” he said.

He insisted that political focus should remain on governance and not succession planning.

“President Tinubu has not even completed his first term. Let him finish that before we start talking about zoning or power rotation,” Ibrahim said.