Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said only six of the 19 northern governors supported President Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid in the 2023 election.
Shettima disclosed this on Wednesday at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, during the turbaning of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate.
The vice-president, however, declined to name the other governors who supported Tinubu, saying he wanted to avoid controversy.
“You all know that we have 19 states in the north. Out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu,” Shettima said.
“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.”
He said Tinubu remained determined despite the political challenges surrounding his presidential ambition.
“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,” he said.
Shettima urged politicians to avoid allowing electoral disagreements to permanently divide them, calling on members of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara to reconcile after the party’s primaries, irrespective of who emerges as the candidate.
He said Tinubu had demonstrated the importance of reconciliation by reaching out to northern governors who did not support his presidential bid after the 2023 election.
“After the 2023 election, President Tinubu hugged and forgave all other northern governors who did not support him. That is a mark of a good leader,” he said.
The vice-president also urged politicians and public officials to serve with humility, stressing that political offices were temporary.
“Power is given by God to the people He so wishes and not because they are better than other people,” he said.
On the economy, Shettima defended the Tinubu administration’s approach, saying it chose to address the challenges it inherited rather than spend its time apportioning blame.
He said the administration inherited about $3.9bn in its coffers and faced difficult economic circumstances when it assumed office.
Shettima said Tinubu remained focused on implementing reforms despite the difficulties confronting the country.
He also said the President’s political style was influenced by that of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he described as a politician who would not allow himself to be arm-twisted during negotiations.
The ceremony was attended by governors, political leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries.
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