President Bola Tinubu on Friday publicly confirmed Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2027 presidential election.
This came as political parties rushed to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline for submitting presidential and National Assembly candidates.
The ruling All Progressives Congress delivered Tinubu’s and Shettima’s nomination forms to its national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in Abuja for forwarding to INEC, officially putting a stop to months of speculation that the president would replace his deputy with a northern Christian.
The news came as INEC said that it has received presidential and vice-presidential nominations from the African Democratic Congress, Nigerian Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, Peoples Redemption Party, and Young Progressives Party.
Meanwhile, other political groups continued to upload their candidates’ names ahead of the commission’s Saturday midnight deadline.
In accordance with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, the electoral commission set a deadline of July 11, 2026, for political parties to upload the nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination site.
The submission process, which began on June 27, includes Forms EC9 and EC9A through EC9E for presidential, vice-presidential, Senate, and House of Representative candidates.
According to the commission’s timetable, political parties will begin uploading the names of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates on July 18, and the exercise will end on August 8.
INEC is scheduled to publish the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates on August 1, while those of governorship and state assembly candidates will be displayed on August 29 to allow members of the public to raise objections where necessary.
The commission has set an August 22 deadline for presidential and National Assembly candidates to withdraw or substitute, while gubernatorial and state assembly candidates had until September 19 to do so under the Electoral Act.
The July 11 deadline is one of the most important milestones in the run-up to the 2027 general elections, since only candidates legitimately nominated by political parties through INEC-monitored primaries are eligible for submission.
The commission has frequently advised political parties not to submit the names of candidates other than those who came from officially supervised primaries, stating that any nomination that did not follow the rules of the Electoral Act and its regulations would be rejected.
Against this context, the APC utilised Friday’s presenting event to formally confirm its presidential ticket, indicating that it will enter the 2027 fight without changing the Muslim-Muslim ticket that won the 2023 presidential election.
Following Tinubu’s announcement as the APC’s presidential candidate at the party’s convention, political speculation raged on whether the president would keep Shettima or choose another running mate to extend the party’s electoral appeal.
Those rumours gained traction in recent months as reports surfaced that the ruling party was contemplating a northern Christian as a vice-presidential candidate to meet concerns about religious balance.
The APC formally presented Tinubu and Shettima as its flag bearers for the 2027 election in a submission made on Friday, putting an end to the ambiguity.
Ibrahim Masari, the President’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, presented the nomination documents at a ceremony attended by members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council, the APC National Working Committee, state party chairmen, and APC governorship candidates.
Earlier, Sulaiman Argungu, the APC National Organising Secretary, described the occasion as a formal presentation of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates’ completed nomination papers.
Argungu emphasised that President Tinubu had already secured the party’s presidential ticket in what he characterised as a legitimate primary election and asked party members to remain united ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also praised the president for his administration’s accomplishments before formally handing over the nomination paperwork to the APC national chairman for submission to INEC.
Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma spoke on behalf of APC governors, reaffirming their support for President Tinubu and the party’s leadership.
“We are delighted that this event is coming after a well-organised and thoroughly supervised primary process. We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting President Tinubu and the party,” he said.
Uzodimma noted that the APC remained committed to internal democracy and inclusiveness, adding that the governors would continue mobilising support for the president across the country.
“We will continue to support him for the greater good of Nigerians and to elevate the country to new heights. To the National Working Committee, we reaffirm our support. Together, we are going to deliver victory for President Tinubu and ensure the party wins all elective positions, including the National and State Assemblies,” he added.
Receiving the nomination papers, APC National Chairman Prof. Yilwatda characterised the occasion as a manifestation of millions of party members’ trust in Tinubu throughout the country.
According to him, the president’s endorsement by party members proved broad support for his administration and its goals.
He stated, “Today is a reflection of the wishes of over 12 million members of the APC who overwhelmingly voted for Mr President as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election. We are proud that APC members across the country cast over 12 million votes for Mr President and overwhelmingly endorsed him.
“I am sure that, together with members of the public who are APC sympathisers, friends of the party, and beneficiaries of the programmes of Mr President, they will overwhelmingly vote for him. I can’t imagine the over 1.5 million students who are receiving student loans. They have families and friends, and they are part of a larger group that will overwhelmingly vote for Mr President for supporting their education.”
Yilwatda also mentioned ongoing infrastructure projects around the country, claiming that the administration has built roads and developed other projects in all six geopolitical zones.
He added, “We have road networks across the country that Mr President has constructed, some of the longest in the history of Nigeria. Communities that had long forgotten road connectivity now have access to beautiful concrete roads passing through their villages, while local people are being engaged as workers on these projects. These projects cut across all six geopolitical zones, benefiting millions of Nigerians.
“People on social media often ask, ‘Who will vote for the APC?’ They are waiting for us across the country to vote for the president. Look at the roads passing through communities and the many other projects the government is undertaking.”
The APC chairman asked governors and party supporters to increase grassroots mobilisation and campaign on the administration’s accomplishments.
He continued, “Nigerians and our party members will overwhelmingly vote for him come January and give him a second term to continue the excellent work he has done in his first term. I appeal to the governors and to our supporters to go back home and spread the good news about what Mr President is doing across the country. What we need is to focus on the achievements, the success stories, and the impact of his administration.
“We must go out there with facts. Let us tell our success stories. Believe me, Nigerians have seen the difference between policies that touch the lives of the people and governance that delivers results.”
