Shettima inaugurates Tinubu campaign office, says North’s support is not a blank cheque

By Haroon Abiodun

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said northern support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid must be earned through transparency, accountability and measurable results, warning that growing political backing should not be taken for granted.

Shettima spoke on Saturday in Abuja while inaugurating the campaign headquarters of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), a political mobilisation platform seeking to coordinate support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The vice-president said the region’s support for Tinubu placed an obligation on the administration and its supporters to demonstrate how its policies were improving security, livelihoods and economic opportunities.

“By now, I believe the North has spoken. We have spoken with a resounding voice and unmistakable conviction. From Adamawa to Zamfara, from Borno to Niger, we have spoken. Such confidence places an obligation upon us that no officeholder should ever underestimate,” he said.

He stressed that the president’s bid for another term should be judged by the administration’s record and a clear explanation of how a renewed mandate would serve Nigerians.

“The mandate belongs to the people. We must account for its use and explain how another term would advance their interests,” Shettima said.

Acknowledging the economic difficulties faced by Nigerians, the vice-president cautioned campaigners against dismissing public concerns or relying on political slogans to defend government policies.

“Our citizens have endured difficult adjustments. We cannot pretend otherwise. What we owe them is an honest account of the decisions taken, the gains achieved and the difficulties that persist. We lose our hearing when applause becomes our only source of information,” he said.

He said the experiences of traders facing rising costs, unemployed graduates and families struggling with daily expenses should inform government decisions.

“A failed policy enters somebody’s home as a missed meal, an unpaid school fee or an opportunity lost,” he added.

Shettima also defended criticism as necessary for democratic governance, urging the administration to remain open to ideas and concerns regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion or region.

“There is no democracy without critics. Progress demands that our assumptions endure the examination of those who disagree with us,” he said.

He urged A4A to operate beyond electioneering by serving as a channel through which community concerns could reach government officials.

“A complaint should travel from a community to those who can act upon it. The people who speak through this organisation deserve to know that somebody is listening,” he said.

The vice-president identified security, economic opportunities, poverty reduction, education and stronger public institutions as priorities for the administration.

“The farmer should be able to cultivate in safety. A child’s education should prepare that child for a productive life. Public institutions should give citizens confidence that effort can yield opportunity,” he said.

He added that the responsibilities of public service would continue beyond the election campaign.

“Even as elections impose a deadline upon persuasion, public service imposes no deadline upon our duty,” Shettima said.

At the event, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin said the inauguration of A4A came at a time when the North needed an organised platform to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Barau expressed confidence that the group would help communicate the administration’s achievements to communities across the region.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, also called on northerners to support the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in 2027.

Yilwatda attributed the region’s support to what he described as Shettima’s inclusive leadership and the administration’s projects across various sectors, as well as the appointment of northern leaders to key government positions.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, urged the North to base its political choices on evidence rather than sentiment.

He said the region’s influence should be used to advance national unity and progress, while highlighting projects undertaken by the administration in northern Nigeria.

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, speaking on behalf of northern governors, said the region would support Tinubu’s re-election based on the administration’s performance.

He said the support would reflect a commitment to fairness, equity, national unity and development.

In his welcome address, A4A Director-General and former Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru said the movement was established out of the conviction that Tinubu and Shettima had performed well and deserved another term.

Badaru pledged that the organisation would take the campaign for continuity and completion of the administration’s projects to communities across northern Nigeria and beyond.

Former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau chairs A4A’s 14-member Board of Trustees. The Abuja headquarters is expected to coordinate the group’s mobilisation activities and engagement with political stakeholders across the region.

The inauguration was attended by members of the National Assembly, ministers, presidential aides, heads of government agencies, former governors and other political stakeholders from northern Nigeria.