By By Elizabeth Ugbo
The Office of the Vice President on Thursday clarified Vice President Kashim Shettima’s remarks about northern governors’ support for President Bola Tinubu before the 2022 APC presidential primary. The clarification followed comments Shettima made on Wednesday at the Emir of Ilorin’s palace during the turbaning of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Shettima’s Comments at Ilorin
Shettima spoke at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, during AbdulRazaq’s turbaning as Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate.
The Vice President said only six of the North’s 19 governors supported Tinubu before the APC presidential primary.
“You all know that we have 19 states in the North. Out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu,” Shettima said.
His remarks generated attention over the level of northern governors’ support for Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign.
Vice President’s Office Issues Clarification
However, the Office of the Vice President moved to clarify the statement on Thursday.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, issued the clarification.
Nkwocha said Shettima referred specifically to political consultations before the APC primary.
He explained that the comment did not suggest northern APC governors abandoned Tinubu afterward.
“The reference by the Vice President to six northern governors who ‘believed in and supported’ President Tinubu was strictly in the context of political consultations and alignments that took place before the APC presidential primary in June 2022,” the statement said.
Northern Governors Supported Tinubu After Primary
According to Nkwocha, northern APC governors rallied behind Tinubu after the party’s primary.
He said the governors played important roles during the campaign for the 2023 general election.
“After the primary, APC governors in the North rallied around the party’s candidate and played important roles in the campaign that culminated in President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election,” Nkwocha said.
The Vice President’s office also said Shettima holds northern governors in high regard.
It added that he recognises their individual and collective contributions to the APC.
The office further linked their contributions to Tinubu’s emergence as president.
Shettima Mentions Two Northern Governors
During his remarks, Shettima identified two governors among the six who supported Tinubu.
They were former Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
However, Shettima declined to name the other four governors.
He said naming them could create unnecessary controversy.
Tinubu Reconciled With Northern Governors
Shettima also highlighted Tinubu’s relationship with northern governors after the 2023 election.
According to him, some northern governors initially did not support Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
However, he said Tinubu later reconciled with them after winning the election.
“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.
The clarification therefore placed the Vice President’s comments within the context of the political alignments before the APC primary.
It also emphasized the support northern APC governors gave Tinubu after he became the party’s presidential candidate.
