BREAKING: Tinubu’s 2027 Running Mate Emerges as INEC Fixes Date for Upload 

Despite months of speculation and reports of internal disagreements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the vice-presidential slot, Vice President Kashim Shettima has emerged as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s sole vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

The development comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) moves closer to its July 11 deadline for political parties to upload the particulars of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal. The commission has fixed 6:00 p.m. on July 11 as the closing date for the submission of Forms EC9 and other nomination documents.

Shettima’s retention effectively ends weeks of intense political speculation that the APC leadership or influential stakeholders could replace the former Borno State governor amid reported internal power struggles and lobbying ahead of the 2027 election. While the rumours generated widespread debate within political circles, there has been no official announcement by the APC indicating any change to the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.

The vice president had earlier demonstrated his central role in President Tinubu’s re-election bid by personally submitting the president’s APC nomination and expression of interest forms, a move widely interpreted as a signal that the Tinubu-Shettima partnership remained intact ahead of the general election.

With the INEC nomination deadline fast approaching, political parties are racing to complete the upload of candidates’ particulars, while attention has shifted to the confirmation of presidential tickets expected to contest the 2027 election.

Although reports of internal disagreements and calls by some party figures for a different running mate had circulated in recent months, the APC has continued to present Shettima as President Tinubu’s running mate, making him the party’s sole vice-presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential race.