President Bola Tinubu has officially retained Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election, ending months of speculation over a possible change to the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket.
The APC submitted the nomination forms of Tinubu and Shettima to the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, on Friday for onward transmission to the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the submission deadline.
The confirmation comes as political parties intensified efforts to complete the submission of their presidential and National Assembly candidates before INEC’s July 11 deadline.
INEC said it had already received presidential and vice-presidential nominations from several political parties, including the African Democratic Congress, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, Peoples Redemption Party and the Young Progressives Party, while others were still uploading candidate details through its online nomination portal.
The commission maintained that all submissions must be completed before midnight on Saturday, stressing that only candidates who emerged from valid party primaries monitored by the electoral body would be accepted.
During the APC presentation ceremony in Abuja, party leaders reaffirmed their support for Tinubu’s re-election bid, describing the nomination as a reflection of confidence in the President’s leadership.
Speaking at the event, APC National Chairman Yilwatda urged party members to focus on the administration’s achievements as they prepare for the 2027 campaign, expressing confidence that the party would secure another electoral victory.
Governors elected on the APC platform also pledged their continued support for the President, promising to mobilise voters across the country ahead of the polls.
Meanwhile, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna disclosed that while several political parties had completed the submission of both presidential and vice-presidential candidates, others were yet to finalise the process.
According to him, the Action Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party and Young Progressives Party had completed their presidential nominations, while some parties, including the Labour Party, Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance, were still processing their submissions.
Labour Party spokesperson Ken Asogwa expressed confidence that the party would meet the deadline, while officials of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and African Democratic Congress also said they expected to complete the upload of their candidates before the portal closes.
As the deadline approached, opposition figures renewed concerns about the credibility of the 2027 general election.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused the Federal Government of undermining democratic institutions, alleging that actions capable of weakening electoral credibility had continued under the current administration.
PDP chieftain Bode George also warned against any attempt to weaken opposition politics, while Nigeria Democratic Congress senatorial candidate Ladipo Johnson questioned public confidence in the electoral process and urged Nigerians to participate actively in the election.
Similarly, the Young Progressives Party expressed concern over what it described as the growing threat of state capture, calling for stronger institutions to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general election.
