The Office of the Vice President has clarified Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent remarks concerning the number of northern governors who supported President Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
The Independent Mirror reports that the clarification was issued on Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday during a visit to the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, where Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was being turbaned as the Sardauna of the Ilorin Emirate.
During the event, the Vice President referred to six of the 19 northern governors as having supported Tinubu during the period preceding his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.
He specifically mentioned former Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and Governor AbdulRazaq among the six, but did not identify the remaining four, explaining that naming them could generate controversy.
Shettima also indicated that Tinubu subsequently reconciled with northern governors who had not supported his presidential bid during the earlier political process.
However, the Vice President’s office explained that his reference to six governors was specifically in relation to political consultations and alignments before the APC presidential primary held in June 2022.
According to the clarification, northern APC governors rallied behind Tinubu after he secured the party’s presidential ticket and contributed to the campaign that culminated in his victory in the 2023 general election.
The statement further noted that Shettima recognises the contributions of northern governors and other APC leaders to the success of the party and Tinubu’s presidential campaign.
It added that the clarification was issued to prevent the Vice President’s earlier remarks from being interpreted as suggesting that northern APC governors failed to support Tinubu after the presidential primary.
Nkwocha said Shettima regretted any interpretation of his comments that might have conveyed such an impression and sought to place the remarks within their intended political context.
