Tension erupted during a meeting of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders from the North-East on Sunday, following an incident involving Comrade Mustapha Salihu, the party’s National Vice Chairman for the region. Salihu caused an uproar when he endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term but failed to acknowledge Vice President Kashim Shettima during his speech.
The meeting, held in Gombe State, was attended by nearly all APC ministers, lawmakers, and governors from the North-East. The party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, also led a delegation of key figures to the event.
When Salihu took the podium, he openly supported Tinubu to run unopposed in the next election. However, his omission of Shettima’s name, a prominent son of Borno State in the North-East, sparked outrage among attendees. As soon as he concluded his remarks, delegates began shouting insults, with some threatening physical assault. Security personnel had to intervene and escort him out of the venue.
In an effort to ease the tension, Deputy National Chairman Bukar Dalori stepped in and offered a joint endorsement of both Tinubu and Shettima for a second term.
Despite this attempt at reconciliation, the meeting took another turn when National Chairman Ganduje, during his roughly 10-minute address, also endorsed Tinubu without mentioning Shettima. His speech further aggravated the situation, prompting security operatives to escort him out as well. The event ended abruptly amid the lingering tensions.
