Sources familiar with the situation say the issue regained momentum following the handling of the President’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, which were transmitted through the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Senator Hope Uzodinma. The sequence of events that followed, particularly the involvement of Vice President Shettima in the submission process at the APC national secretariat, is said to have triggered unease in sections of the Villa.
One source described the reaction as rooted in perception rather than procedure. “The concern was not about the paperwork itself,” the source said, “but the impression it created that decisions had already been concluded while consultations were still ongoing.” Another added that the visible coordination between Uzodinma and the Vice President “made it look like a final position had been reached, even though discussions were still in progress.”
Uzodinma’s role has since come under quiet scrutiny within party structures, especially within PGF circles, where his handling of the process reportedly became a point of disagreement among some governors. However, insiders say the matter did not escalate into a formal disciplinary action. Instead, it was contained following intervention from the President. “There was no move to remove him,” a source explained. “It was more about correcting the situation than punishing anyone.”
There were also accounts of an attempt to bring Senate President Godswill Akpabio into the submission arrangement, although he reportedly declined involvement due to legislative commitments. According to a source close to the matter, “He simply said he was on his way to plenary and could not be part of it.”
Behind the scenes, attention has returned to the broader question of whether Vice President Shettima will remain on the 2027 ticket or whether adjustments could still be made. Those familiar with ongoing consultations say discussions have included several alternative names, among them National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Defence General Christopher Musa (rtd), and former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
Each option is said to carry distinct political calculations. Ribadu is viewed by some actors as a stabilising figure capable of reinforcing support in the North-East. Musa and Dogara, on the other hand, are seen in certain quarters as options that could recalibrate perceptions around religious balance at the top of the ticket. One political insider put it bluntly: “Every option solves one problem and creates another. That is why the decision is not straightforward.”
At the same time, sources caution that replacing the Vice President could generate significant political backlash. “The cost of removing him may be heavier than the benefit of changing him,” one source said, pointing to sensitivities within key northern political blocs.
The ripple effects of the ongoing realignments are also being felt beyond the immediate Presidency discussions. In Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s political positioning within the APC structure is said to be indirectly affected by the same internal dynamics shaping the national conversation. He recently scaled the party’s screening process and was cleared to participate in the primaries, though observers note that the process remains tightly controlled by competing interests within the party.
A party source linked the easing of tension around the PGF episode to a broader stabilisation effort within the ruling structure. “As things calm down at the centre, it has a way of reflecting across other political arrangements,” the source said, adding that developments within the PGF and related power blocs are influencing outcomes in state-level contests as well.
For now, consultations continue without a final announcement, as the Presidency works through competing interests, regional calculations, and internal party pressures. One senior source summed up the moment simply: “Nothing is final yet. The pieces are still being arranged, and every move is being weighed carefully before anything is made public.”
