Shettima Lauds Governor Uba Sani over Growing APC Dominance in Kaduna
- Vice President Kashim Shettima praised Governor Uba Sani for expanding the APC’s political base in Kaduna State
- He said recent defections had reversed the party’s losses from the 2023 general elections
- Governor Sani credited inclusive governance and development initiatives for sustaining peace and unity in the state
Legit.ng Journalist Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award winner, with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has praised Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, saying his leadership is steadily turning the state into a one-party stronghold following a wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Shettima made the remark at the weekend during the commissioning of the Tudun Biri Resettlement Scheme, on Sunday, February 1.
Source: Twitter
As reported by Daily Trust, Shettima commended the governor for what he described as deliberate and inclusive efforts to strengthen the ruling party’s presence across Kaduna State.
Reflecting on the outcome of the 2023 general elections, Shettima recalled that the APC recorded heavy losses in Kaduna before the recent political realignments.
He said:
“Governor Uba Sani, we are most grateful. You are gradually turning Kaduna into a one-party state, with House of Representatives members representing Soba, Makarfi and Kudan on their way to the APC,” the Vice President said.
“In 2023, we lost all three Senate seats to the PDP. Out of the 16 members of the National Assembly, the APC had only four. The PDP had 10, while the Labour Party had two,” he said.
Prominent opposition figures defected
According to him, the political landscape has since shifted due to what he described as the “conscious and deliberate efforts” of Governor Sani and party leaders to build trust across political divides.
Shettima noted that several prominent opposition figures had defected to the APC, including former Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and Senator Sunday Marshal.
He described recent developments in Southern Kaduna as unprecedented, noting that the zone had consistently elected senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since 1999.
“This is the first time in living memory that the APC has a senator in Southern Kaduna, due to the singular effort of Governor Uba Sani,” he said.
The Vice President also announced the defection of a serving House of Representatives member from Igabi Federal Constituency, which he described as one of the largest constituencies in the country, with about 600 polling units and over 400,000 registered voters.
Reason for defections
Shettima attributed the defections to Governor Sani’s leadership style, which he said had fostered confidence across political and regional lines.
“This is leadership. Without your inclusive approach, I don’t think Sunday Marshal and other leaders in Southern Kaduna would have joined the APC,” he added.
He further commended the Kaduna State Government for working closely with the Federal Government on the Tudun Biri Resettlement Scheme, describing it as an example of responsive governance.
Source: Twitter
Uba Sani appreciates Shettima
In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving Tudun Biri as the first beneficiary of the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflicts, following the accidental bombing in December 2023.
The governor said the initiative showed that peace could only be sustained through development, inclusion and economic opportunity, alongside security measures.
Uba Sani replies El-Rufai
Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has addressed the allegation that the government is paying and feeding bandits in the north.
Former governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, alleged that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) coordinates ransom payments and incentives to bandits.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governor said that only firearms cannot resolve insecurity in the country.
Source: Legit.ng
