Angry delegates confronting the APC chairman, Umar Ganduje, as he leaves the venue of the North-East stakeholder meeting.
Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) expected a routine meeting when its North-East stakeholders gathered in the North-Eastern state of Gombe. It however quickly descended into chaos, revealing rifts in the ranks of the party in the region.
The APC’s national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, needed heavy security to escort him out as shouts overwhelmed the meeting. For many, this was a clear warning. The party’s divisions are deepening, and without quick action, they could rupture completely.
The spark started when speakers took the stage, showering praises on Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but pointedly leaving out the vice president, Kashim Shettima. To anyone who knows Nigerian politics, that was not a slip-up. It felt like a calculated snub, a move to push Shettima to the sidelines. The delegates from the region stood their ground, unshaken in their defiance. What began as a standard meeting erupted into near-chaos as they voiced their discontent.
This was not about bruised egos, it was the North-East flexing its muscle. The region has been a rock-solid APC stronghold since 2015, delivering votes that helped make history by unseating an incumbent president. The message from Gombe was clear. It was the region warning not to be taken for granted. Shettima’s allies, some of the region’s biggest political players, made it plain they would fight tooth and nail to protect their man.
The North-East’s weight in Nigeria’s political game has to be understood. In 2015, the ruling party’s big win came from a tight North-South West partnership, in which the North-East played a major role. It still needs the North-East to win reelection in 2027, but growing discontent threatens its support.
The chaos in Gombe did not come out of nowhere. It started when Mustapha Salihu, the APC’s National Vice Chairman for the North-East, gave a speech praising Tinubu but skipping over Shettima entirely. To the crowd, that was not an accident, it was a deliberate jab. The reaction was instant. Pparty delegates protested, forcing security personnel to intervene.
Reconciliation efforts came late, as tensions had already boiled over. Deputy National Chairman Bukar Dalori tried in desperation, calling in the vice president’s name, but the division had grown too wide for easy mending.
This is not just a regional spat, it is a red flag for the APC, some political observers warn. The party’s strength has always come from juggling the competing interests of Nigeria’s North and South. If the North East feels pushed aside, that balance could crumble. The opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is licking its chops. Though it has been down in recent years, the PDP sees an opening in the APC’s infighting. The chants of disapproval at the meeting aimed at Ganduje were not just a jab, several members at the event said they were a warning that loyalty has its limits.
For President Tinubu, a political veteran, this is a make-or-break moment. The North East’s grievances can not be brushed off. Political insiders in the region say a few things need to happen, fast. First, Shettima’s role has to be front and center. He is not just a vice president, he is the link between the presidency and the North. If people think he is being sidelined, resentment will fester.
Party stalwarts have advised that Ganduje and the APC brass should sit down with North East leaders for real talks, not just photo ops. Promises will not cut it, they say. The region wants concrete results, such as appointments, projects, and a real stake in the game. “The APC needs to show the North East it has got their back,” one commentator said.
The ruling party has survived storms before, but this time feels different. Though the next national elections remain years away, the lobbying for position has begun in earnest. If the APC fails to mend fences in the North-East soon, observers warn the party may lose part of its support where it caan least afford to – potentially deciding its fate at the polls.
As the dust settles in Gombe, the APC’s leaders face a choice, heed the warning and act, or bet on loyalty holding steady without effort. In Nigerian politics, taking people for granted is a surefire way to crash and burn. The North East has made its voice heard. Now, it’s political leaders say, it is up to the APC to prove it is listening.
