The National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mustapha Salihu, has addressed the backlash following his call for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027—amid criticism that he failed to acknowledge Vice President Kashim Shettima during the recent APC North-East Stakeholders’ Summit in Gombe State.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, Salihu said his remarks were widely misunderstood and misrepresented, especially by some media outlets.
“I believe the controversy stems from consistent misinterpretation and inaccurate reporting by the media,” he said. “If they had aired my full remarks or simply read the concluding paragraph before the endorsement, this wouldn’t be an issue.”
Salihu clarified that before endorsing Tinubu for a second term, he had praised Vice President Shettima and highlighted the high-level appointments given to the North-East by the current administration.
“In the final paragraph before I moved the endorsement, I paid tribute to the Vice President, calling him our son and expressing our pride in him. I also listed the ministers and key positions given to the North-East and thanked Asiwaju for his inclusiveness,” he explained.
Salihu, who reportedly escaped an attack by an angry mob during the summit, emphasized that APC’s nomination process produces only a presidential candidate in the primaries. The choice of a running mate, he added, is the exclusive prerogative of the candidate.
“There’s no such thing as a joint ticket during primaries,” he said. “Once the candidate emerges, only then does he choose a running mate. It is not a collective decision.”
While acknowledging that consultations with party leaders may occur, he maintained that the Constitution grants the presidential candidate full authority over the choice of a vice-presidential nominee.
Dismissing claims of a rift between Tinubu and Shettima, Salihu said some individuals were deliberately stoking division for their own gain.
“There are people who profit from stirring chaos—we call them crisis entrepreneurs. They thrive by twisting narratives to cause friction,” he said.
He urged APC members and the public not to fall for politically motivated conspiracy theories circulating online.
“Party matters are not handled on social media or in newspaper headlines. We work through party structures. The stories making the rounds simply don’t reflect the true situation in the APC,” Salihu concluded.