Shettima vs Tinubu: Kwankwaso Trying To Sow Discord In APC – Party Spokesman

Party Spokesman has accused Kwankwaso of attempts to sow discord in APC.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and his loyalists of attempting to stoke internal crisis within the party, following a turbulent North-East zonal meeting that ended in controversy last week.

 

Tensions flared at the gathering, with viral videos showing Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, visibly upset and engaged in a heated exchange with APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The flashpoint appeared to centre on perceived attempts by the party leadership to sideline Vice President Kashim Shettima while pushing for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term agenda.

 

Supporters of Shettima, including political ally Engr. Bashir Buba Muhammad, took to social media to express outrage, accusing Ganduje of disrespecting the Vice President. In a series of Facebook posts, Muhammad went as far as linking Ganduje to past corruption scandals, reposting footage from the infamous “Kano dollar” video. He also quoted Zulum as saying, “No Kashim, no APC in the North.”

 

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In response, the Kano State chapter of the APC dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. The party’s Publicity Secretary, Ahmed S. Aruwa, denied any plans by Ganduje to undermine or replace Shettima.

 

“As far as I know, the APC National Chairman has never spoken about wanting the Vice President’s seat. This has never been discussed,” Aruwa told DAILY POST. “Only President Tinubu has the authority to determine who remains his running mate, and that decision is not due yet.”

 

He went further to accuse the Kwankwasiyya movement of trying to exploit the situation to destabilise the APC from within.

 

“They are looking for cracks in our party, but they have found none. This is their usual playbook — stir up trouble and create division. That’s why we are cautious about any potential return of the Kwankwasiyya group to the APC. They are not welcome,” Aruwa said.

 

Reacting to the unfolding drama, political analyst Prof. Kamilu Sani Fagge of Bayero University, Kano, said the incident may reflect deeper fault lines within the ruling party.

 

“There is time before the 2027 elections, but what happened signals potential fractures that the opposition could seize upon,” Fagge noted, warning that unresolved tensions between party heavyweights could prove damaging in the long run.

 

While the APC continues to downplay the fallout from the meeting, political observers suggest the rift between Shettima’s camp and Ganduje’s loyalists may not fade easily — especially with the 2027 elections already casting a long shadow.