Chaos erupted at a high-level All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting in the North-East on Sunday after two key party leaders endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, without acknowledging Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
The gathering, held in Gombe State, was attended by a host of APC dignitaries from the region, including governors, ministers, and lawmakers.
Among the top figures present was APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, who led a federal delegation to the event.
During his address, Comrade Mustapha Salihu, the National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the party, gave his full backing for Tinubu to return as the APC’s unopposed presidential candidate, but made no mention of Vice-President Shettima.
That omission immediately sparked outrage among delegates.
DAILY GAZETTE correspondent reports that the moment he finished his speech, delegates at the forum started to hurl insults at him, with some threatening to attack him physically.
Salihu had to be escorted out of the hall by security personnel to avoid escalation.
In an attempt to douse tensions, Deputy National Chairman, Bukar Dalori, stepped in and offered a more balanced endorsement.
He declared support for both Tinubu and Shettima to seek a second term in office.
Notably, Shettima hails from Borno State, one of the North-East states represented at the meeting.
However, the situation escalated further when Ganduje himself took the stage and, like Salihu, failed to mention the Vice-President.
His speech, which lasted roughly 10 minutes, focused entirely on Tinubu’s leadership and aspirations for a second term.
“Ganduje didn’t also mention Shettima’s name throughout his speech,” our correspondent observed.
The omission added fuel to the fire, and the event came to an abrupt end.
Ganduje too was escorted out of the venue under tight security.
