Shettima To Northerners: Repay Tinubu For Supporting Atiku, Buhari In The Past

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged northern Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing the President’s past support for northern political leaders, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and late President Muhammadu Buhari.

Shettima said Tinubu had stood by northern presidential aspirants at critical moments in Nigeria’s political history and deserved the region’s reciprocal loyalty.

The Vice-President spoke on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

He recalled that Tinubu supported Atiku when the former Vice-President left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and sought another political platform ahead of the 2007 presidential election.

Shettima also cited Tinubu’s support for former presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu in 2011 and his backing of Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.

According to him, Tinubu’s political alliances with northern leaders demonstrated his longstanding commitment to the region.

“This explains why we have all stood with him. To declare why Arewa support for you. This is a mark of honour and our faith in a man of honour,” he said.

Shettima urged voters in the North to consider Tinubu’s political history and the administration’s performance as they prepare to decide the country’s leadership in 2027.

He said the President had worked to keep the country together despite political disagreements, economic difficulties and what he described as falsehoods and hypocrisy surrounding the administration.

“We have come to you with a heart full of gratitude. Gratitude for standing with us. Gratitude for believing in us,” the Vice-President said.

Shettima added that Tinubu and his allies had worked to protect national stability and improve the economy, arguing that their cooperation had helped Nigeria withstand predictions of economic deterioration.

Turning to Kaduna State, the Vice-President urged voters to renew Governor Uba Sani’s mandate and support the APC across the ballot in the 2027 elections.

He said the Kaduna State Government had pursued policies aimed at restoring the state’s reputation as a major centre of learning.

Shettima cited the establishment of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, and the transition of the Federal University of Education, Zaria, as part of efforts to expand educational opportunities.

He also highlighted vocational education initiatives in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru Kataf, saying more than 4,000 people had graduated from the institutions.

The Vice-President further cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as part of the administration’s efforts to expand access to higher education for students from less privileged backgrounds.

On infrastructure, Shettima listed the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, Kano-Maradi Railway, Lagos-Kano rail corridor and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road among projects he said were making progress.

He also mentioned work on the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, which he said would create opportunities for agricultural production and economic activities.

Shettima maintained that the APC’s record in Kaduna and Tinubu’s history of political cooperation across regional lines provided grounds for the North to sustain its support for the President ahead of the 2027 presidential election.