By Abdullahi Sani, Yola
As preparations towards 2027 presidency gears up, stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the North East Geopolitical Zone have advised President Bola Tinubu to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate or risk loosing votes from the area in the 2027 presidential election.
A cross section of APC major stakeholders from the zone in separate interviews with our correspondent described Vice President Kashim Shettima as a political liability to APC and the aspirations of the President.
The APC stakeholders lamented that Shettima was selective in handling Affairs of the party in the zone by not carrying along other states in the North East as he favours only Borno state in his appointments and projects for the zone.
While some accused the vice president of working at variance with the ideals and ideologies of the Tinubu administration, others hold that Shetima was harbouring a secret agenda against President’s 2027 presidebtial ambition.
Alhaji Usman Umar Gieri from Adamawa expressed total bitterness that major APC Chieftains that spent their resources and worked for APC and President Tinubu from Adamawa Bauchi Yobe, Taraba and Gombe states were denied appointments into Tinubu government, while only those from Borno State were given special preference.
“Please tell me how you want such stakeholders to come out with their resources and work for the party in 2027.” He asked.
Aminu Mustapha, another APC stalwart from Yola, Adamawa state said that the only way President Tinubu would be guaranteed of massive votes from the north east region in 2027 is to replace Shetima as Vice President and bring in a more popular, more vibrant and more politically active as a running mate. As it is today, Kashim Shettima has no electoral value in the North East let alone or other zones.
“Instead of wooing new members into APC and carrying along real major stakeholders, the VP has developed the habit of favouring only his stooges for federal appointments meant for the north East region.” Said Aminu Mustapha from Yola.
This attitude, according to Mustapha has forced a good number of APC strong members from the zone to decamp to other political parties.
He said that several prominent APC stakeholders from the zone were victims of Shetima’s sledge Harmar but are all afraid of voicing out for fear of further victimisation.
“Why would the Vice President select some specific APC stakeholders from the zone and give them special preference above others, a situation that has forced many party loyalists to loose interest in the affairs of APC in their states. “” he said.
The stakeholders are bitter that the Vice President unilaterally used his veto power to change the position of the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission NEDC from Gombe to Borno by reinstating Mohammed Alkali Goni who had earlier completed his tenure and was already replaced by the then President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Also all the Commissioners appointed by Former President Buhari and other appointees from the states that made up the North East region were changed and replaced with Shetima’s stooges.
President Muhammadu Buhari had already appointed Dr.Umar Abubakar Hashidu from Gombe state as new Managing Director and CEO, but Shettima on assumption as Vice President upturn the appointment and gave it back to Alhaji Alkali from Borno. .
Shettima ignored the NEDC establishment Act 2017 which provided for the rotation of the office of the Managing Director and CEO among the six states that made up the zone.
The six states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe Taraba and Yobe.
Alhaji Garba Tijani a chieftain of the APC in Gombe state said that the Vice president was marginalising other states in the zone to favour Borno, which according to him, were part of the reasons stakeholders of the party in the north East don’t want Shettima as Vice President in the next dispensation.
Another APC stalwart from Yobe State Alhaji Bakura Idris Zana described Shetima as a selfish leader who do not whish other members of the party to benefit from the party they supported and suffered for. “You will agree with me that APC loyalists in the North East are now orphans and have no one to run to because of Shettima’s attitude” he cried.
Hajia Hadiza Aliyu, APC Stakeholder from Bauchi state advised Tinubu to choose between the votes from the North East and
Shettima.
” Shetima is our headache in the North East, we work for our party because we expect reward but the VP has monopolised every benefit meant for the zone to himself ” she lamented.
The views of Hadiza Aliyu is not different from that of Hon. Jonathan Albert, APC stakeholder from the Southern Taraba who said that a good number of influential APC Chieftains from the state were already decamping to other political parties because of neglect by the Vice President Shetima and the Party. “We are fed up with APC in Taraba because our leaders who really worked for the party were not considered for appointments” he said.
This was clearly demonstrated during the recent Zonal stakeholders meeting of the party in Gombe when other states refused to endorse Shettima for VP 2027. It was only Borno State that endorsed him during the meeting.
“Shetima only managed to win Borno for APC in 2023 and may loose in 2027 if Tinubu decides to keep him,” he added..
Mr Micheal Zira, another APC stalwart from Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa state also advised President Bola Tinubu to discard Shettima for the party to get smooth victory come 2027 presidential election.
Zira complained that the impact of Shettima as a vice president has not been felt in the zone except Borno his home state.
He explained that Tinubu risked loosing North East in 2027 because of Shettima, adding that the number two man became more unpopular even in his zone within his two and a half years in office.
According to him, there is no tangible achievement that one can say Shettima has influenced to other states in the North East other than his home state Borno.
He challenged anyone with facts about the impact of Shettima in the North East region, apart from Borno, to come forward and present such.
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