APC retains Tinubu-Shettima ticket for 2027 ahead of INEC deadline

By Umar Idris Shuaibu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially confirmed Vice President Kashim Shettima as the running mate to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, putting an end to months of speculation over the composition of the party’s presidential ticket.

The confirmation came on Friday as the ruling party formally received the completed nomination forms of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for onward submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of Saturday’s deadline.

The nomination forms were presented to the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in Abuja by the President’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, during a ceremony attended by members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council, the APC National Working Committee, state party chairmen and governorship candidates.

The submission comes ahead of INEC’s 6:00 p.m. deadline on Saturday for political parties to upload the nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2026.

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Speaking at the event, APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, described the ceremony as the formal presentation of the duly completed nomination forms of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Argungu noted that President Tinubu had earlier emerged as the party’s presidential candidate through its primary election and urged party members to remain united as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum.

On behalf of APC governors, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed the governors’ commitment to President Tinubu and the leadership of the ruling party.

He commended the conduct of the party’s primary election, describing the process as transparent and well supervised, while urging members to rally behind all APC candidates ahead of the polls.

Receiving the nomination forms, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the event reflected the confidence reposed in President Tinubu’s leadership by party members nationwide.

Yilwatda highlighted the administration’s student loan scheme, infrastructure development and agricultural interventions as key achievements that would form the basis of the party’s campaign ahead of the election.

He expressed confidence that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket would secure another mandate, urging governors to mobilise support across their respective states and geopolitical zones.

According to him, healthy competition among APC-controlled states in delivering votes for the party would further strengthen its chances at the polls.

Speaking with journalists after the ceremony, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, confirmed that the party had officially retained President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

“The presidential candidate of the party is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while our vice-presidential candidate is the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima,” Morka stated.

With the submission of the nomination forms, the APC has formally retained the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for the 2027 presidential election, bringing to an end weeks of speculation over the Vice President’s position on the party’s ballot.