Shettima Mentions Number of Northern APC Govs That Supported Tinubu to Get Ticket in 2023
- Vice-President Kashim Shettima made the disclosure at the turbaning of Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate
- Shettima named former Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and AbdulRazaq among the six northern governors who backed Tinubu
- The Vice-President used the occasion to call on Kwara APC politicians to reconcile after party primaries, regardless of who emerges
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Ilorin, Kwara State - Vice-President Kashim Shettima has disclosed that only six of Nigeria's 19 northern governors threw their weight behind President Bola Tinubu's presidential campaign ahead of the 2023 general election.
Shettima made the revelation on Wednesday, September 16, at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, during the ceremony in which Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was conferred with the title of Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate.
Source: UGC
The Vice-President described the political climate of the 2023 presidential race as particularly difficult, noting that significant obstacles were placed before Tinubu at every turn.
"You all know that we have 19 states in the North. Out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu. Apart from Former Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger, seated here, and Malam Abdurrahman AbdulRazaq… to avoid controversy, I will stop naming the names of the other governors. But the governors that were supporting President Tinubu in the North were not more than six. However, Tinubu refused to be deterred. He was able to cross the road," Shettima said.
Tinubu forgave governors who opposed him
The Vice-President said Tinubu's conduct after winning the election carried an important lesson for politicians, particularly those approaching future contests. He said the president extended goodwill to the northern governors who had withheld their support, rather than treating them as adversaries.
"After the 2023 election, President Tinubu hugged and forgave all other northern governors that did not support him. That is a mark of a good leader," Shettima said.
He urged politicians in Kwara to adopt a similar approach following the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, stressing that competition within a party should not create lasting rifts between former allies.
Shettima also addressed the country's economic challenges, saying the administration chose to tackle inherited problems head-on rather than assign blame. He said the government came into office with about $3.9 billion in its coffers and pressed ahead with an economic reform agenda despite the difficult conditions it met.
On political power, the Vice-President cautioned those in public office against arrogance.
"Power is given by God to the people He so wishes and not because they are better than other people," he said, adding that political office is temporary and that those who hold it must eventually return to ordinary life.
Watch Shettima's video below via the X post:
Kwara: Dignitaries attend AbdulRazaq's turbaning
The Matawali of Ilorin Emirate, Alimi AbdulRazaq, described the Sardauna title as well deserved and urged the governor to treat the honour as a call to deliver more to the people of Kwara State.
The ceremony drew several governors, including Niger State's Umar Bago, Kaduna State's Uba Sani, and Imo State's Hope Uzodimma, as well as the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli. Deputy governors from Sokoto, Anambra, Nasarawa, Delta, Ondo, and Oyo states also attended.
Earlier in the day, Shettima inaugurated the Kwara State Revenue House on Ahmadu Bello Way and a garment factory in Ilorin.
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ChatGPT predicts winner of 2027 election
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ChatGPT predicted that the ruling APC would likely win Nigeria's 2027 presidential election, using the Four Horsemen framework.
It cited the opposition coalition but said the ruling APC has the edge due to possible low voter turnout and the Tinubu administration's efforts to stabilise the economy.
Source: Legit.ng
