Fresh Details Emerge from APC Northeast Zonal Meeting in Gombe

New information has surfaced from the Northeast Zonal Leaders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), held in Gombe, where the proposal to endorse President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for the 2027 presidential election was introduced and received broad support.

However, the move to back the joint ticket initially faced resistance from Comrade Mustapha Salihu, the APC’s National Vice Chairman (Northeast), who subtly opposed the endorsement.

Sources told THE CONCLAVE that Salihu was acting on behalf of Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya, who is believed to be quietly opposed to Vice President Shettima’s continued presence on the ticket in 2027. The exact reasons for Governor Yahaya’s opposition remain unclear.

According to insiders, while the governor refrained from openly expressing dissent as the meeting’s host, he reportedly delegated Salihu to voice his reservations indirectly.

Salihu’s position, however, drew the ire of many attendees, particularly due to his conspicuous omission of Vice President Shettima in his endorsement remarks—a move that sparked protests from several participants.

Despite this, the joint ticket received strong backing from other prominent figures at the meeting. Hon. Usman Kumo, Chief Whip of the House of Representatives and representative of Kumo Federal Constituency in Gombe State, endorsed the ticket on behalf of the North-East House of Representatives Caucus.

Similarly, Senator M.T. Monguno, Chief Whip of the Senate and representative of Borno North, gave his endorsement on behalf of the North-East Senate Caucus. Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, Deputy National Chairman (North), spoke in support of the ticket on behalf of the National Working Committee (NWC) members from the region.

One source noted: “It’s important to point out that only Comrade Mustapha Salihu opposed the joint ticket, while all four NWC members from the North-East expressed their support.”

The NWC members backing the ticket included:

• Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori (Deputy National Chairman, North)
• Mohammad Ali Kumo (Deputy Financial Secretary, Gombe State)
• Zainab Ibrahim (Deputy Women Leader, Taraba State)
• Abubakar Maikafi (National Auditor, Bauchi State). Theconclave