A senior chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ismaeel Ahmed, has dismissed speculations suggesting a rift between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing such rumours as malicious and unfounded.

Speaking during a live appearance on ‘Politics Today,’ a prime time programme on Channels Television, Ahmed said there was no truth in claims that Shettima might be replaced ahead of the 2027 elections.

He stated emphatically that no internal conversations had been held about removing or sidelining the Vice President.

“It’s not true. I know it very well,” Ahmed said. “There is trust between President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima. We are trying to create an issue where there is none.”

Ahmed added that rumours of a power struggle were being pushed by individuals who misunderstood the workings of the Presidency.

He urged both party faithful and Nigerians to ignore distractions and focus on the administration’s work.

“We have a mandate from the people. There’s still a lot to deliver. For God’s sake, we are a government in office, a party in power. Let’s obey INEC rules at the very least. We must focus on governing,” he said.

His comments came just days after a controversial endorsement of President Tinubu at the APC North-East Summit in Gombe. During the event, the party’s National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, publicly backed Tinubu’s re-election bid without mentioning Shettima.

Ahmed, however, downplayed the omission, stating it was in line with APC tradition not to challenge an incumbent President seeking a second term.

“The sitting president gets the ticket if he wants it. That’s our culture,” he said.

He condemned the endorsement as unnecessary, labelling it “orchestrated sycophancy,” and said such moves were distractions from the party’s responsibility to govern effectively.

Ahmed also warned against early politicking, saying the APC must focus on performance rather than reacting to perceived opposition threats.

“We are not scared of any opposition. This is not the time for campaigns. We should stop running from shadows and instead talk to Nigerians about the progress we’re making,” he said.

In a separate interview on Monday, Mustapha Salihu described the controversy as the handiwork of “conflict entrepreneurs.” He said the vice president was not being sidelined and that the party had no vice-presidential ticket to offer at this time.

“These rumours are inevitable in politics,” Salihu said. “But they are false. We did what the law permits, praised our son. Others didn’t even do that.”

He said endorsing the President with a condition for a running mate was premature and misplaced.