Tensions boiled over at the APC North-East stakeholders' meeting on Sunday as party loyalists vowed to back former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if Vice President Kashim Shettima is removed from the 2027 Tinubu ticket.

 The high-stakes meeting, held at the International Conference Centre, Gombe, descended into chaos after Zonal Vice Chairman Mustapha Salihu endorsed President Tinubu for a second term, without mentioning Shettima.

 In protest, enraged delegates hurled chairs and plastic buckets, chanting “Shettima! Shettima! Shettima!” Security operatives quickly intervened.

 “It’s an insult to the entire region that our own son, the Vice President, was not even mentioned,” a Borno delegate fumed.

 Despite earlier support from Governors Zulum (Borno), Buni (Yobe), and Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe) for the Tinubu–Shettima ticket, the omission triggered widespread anger.

 APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje later tried to calm nerves, affirming that the presidency remains a joint constitutional ticket, but many delegates weren’t convinced.

“No Shettima, no APC in the North-East!” echoed through the venue.

An Adamawa APC chieftain threatened mass defection: “If Shettima is dropped, I will personally lead my people to vote for Atiku.”

 The meeting ended in disorder, with police deploying teargas outside to disperse angry crowds.

 An insider revealed that all North-East NWC members—except Salihu—back Tinubu-Shettima, making Salihu the sole dissenting voice in the zone.

This incident signals deepening internal fractures within APC, especially in the North-East. If unresolved, it could fuel defections and boost Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 prospects.