Shettima Clarifies Remarks On Northern Governors Support For Tinubu In 2023

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has clarified that his reference to six northern governors who believed in and supported President Tinubu was specifically about political consultations and alignments preceding the APC presidential primary in June 2022.

Responding to the controversies generated by the Vice President’s comments on Wednesday in Ilorin, a message by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, read in part: “The Office of the Vice President wishes to clarify remarks by Vice President Kashim Shettima concerning the support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received from northern governors in the build-up to his emergence as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“It was not a comment on the position of northern APC governors following President Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s candidate, nor was it intended to question their support during the 2023 presidential election.

“Following the presidential primary, APC governors in the North rallied around the party’s candidate and played important roles in the campaign and electoral efforts that culminated in President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election.

“Indeed, it is worthy of note that it was after the declaration of President Tinubu as winner of the 2023 presidential primaries that all other governors across the country rallied round and followed suit.

“That declaration by the northern governors hence became the aligning moment across all political divides in the quest for power shift.

“VP Shettima holds the northern governors and other leaders of the APC in high regard and recognises their individual and collective contributions to the success of the party and the emergence of President Tinubu.

“The Vice President regrets any interpretation of his remarks that may have suggested otherwise and hopes this clarification places the comments in their proper context.

VP Shettima also appreciates the Nigerian media for its longstanding professionalism and constructive engagement with his office and urges continued accuracy and context in the reporting of public remarks as the country approaches another political season.