Maiduguri, Borno State – A high-level meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) North-East stakeholders descended into chaos over the weekend, as tensions erupted between youth leaders and senior party officials over the continued endorsement of the Tinubu–Shettima administration.
The meeting, which was meant to be a strategic session on party unity and mobilization ahead of upcoming political activities, quickly unraveled when youth representatives accused Vice President Kashim Shettima of abandoning the region’s grassroots supporters after the 2023 electoral victory.
According to eyewitnesses, a heated exchange broke out when a senior APC elder from Bauchi State reiterated the North-East’s “unwavering support” for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Shettima. Youth delegates from Borno and Adamawa immediately challenged the assertion, demanding accountability and better representation for local party loyalists who “sacrificed everything” for the campaign.
“We carried this party on our backs during the elections. But after victory, the doors were shut on us,” said one visibly angry youth leader. “We can’t pretend everything is fine while our people are suffering and those in Abuja have forgotten us.”
The altercation reportedly escalated to the point where security had to intervene to prevent a physical confrontation. The meeting was ultimately adjourned abruptly without achieving its key agenda points.
Party insiders say this latest clash reflects growing disillusionment within the North-East bloc of the APC, particularly among younger members who feel sidelined in the party’s power structure despite their electoral contributions.
A senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity admitted that the Vice President’s perceived distance from his home region is becoming “a major source of friction.”
“There’s a real disconnect. People expected more engagement, more appointments, more attention to local issues. That hasn’t happened,” the official said.
As of press time, neither Vice President Shettima nor the APC national leadership had issued an official statement on the incident.
Political analysts warn that unless the party moves quickly to heal internal rifts and address grassroots concerns, the North-East—long considered an APC stronghold—could become a flashpoint of internal rebellion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
