• VP says North has nothing to fear under Tinubu • Uba Sani cites power-sharing agreement, urges North to honour eight-year zoning arrangement
Vice-President Kashim Shettima and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani have reaffirmed the commitment of northern political leaders to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, urging members of the All Progressives Congress to unite and work for the party’s victory.
They spoke at the commissioning of the national secretariat of the A4A political support group, where Shettima said the North had demonstrated its confidence in Tinubu’s leadership but warned that internal divisions within the APC posed a greater threat than opposition parties.
Shettima, who praised northern leaders for supporting the administration, said the President deserved another term, arguing that his economic reforms had helped stabilise the country despite the hardship experienced by Nigerians.
He said the administration inherited a difficult economic situation, including dwindling foreign reserves and huge government liabilities, insisting that Tinubu had taken difficult decisions to prevent an economic collapse.
According to the Vice-President, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have improved significantly, while the administration remains committed to expanding economic opportunities, tackling insecurity and reducing poverty.
He, however, acknowledged that many Nigerians were still struggling with the effects of economic adjustments, stressing that the government must listen to citizens and provide honest accounts of its policies and achievements.
Shettima said the North had no reason to fear a second Tinubu administration, adding that northern communities stood to benefit from the President’s planned agricultural interventions.
He also expressed confidence in the APC’s electoral prospects, citing defections from opposition parties and the party’s growing political presence across the North.
The Vice-President, however, warned that internal disagreements could undermine the party’s chances in 2027.
“I am not afraid of the PDP. I am not afraid of a diminished Peter Obi. But I am more afraid of internal contradictions within our household,” he said.
Shettima urged party leaders to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and ensure that political appointees and elected officials accounted for their performance at polling units, wards and local government areas.
He also cautioned against pursuing the presidential election at the expense of governorship and legislative contests, calling on party members to support APC candidates across all levels.
In his remarks, Uba Sani, who spoke on behalf of northern governors, declared their support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition, citing the power-sharing understanding between northern and southern political leaders.
He recalled that the arrangement, established around the return to democratic rule in 1999, provided for the North to have eight years in power before power shifted to the South.
Sani noted that former President Muhammadu Buhari served two consecutive terms, adding that northern leaders should honour the understanding by supporting Tinubu, who emerged as the APC’s presidential candidate in 2023.
Although he acknowledged that the arrangement was not constitutionally binding, the governor argued that political fairness and common sense required the North to respect it.
“On behalf of all the Northern states, on behalf of all democrats, and on behalf of all patriotic Northern states, we want to assure His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of our full support, 100 per cent,” Sani said.
He urged APC members to mobilise openly for Tinubu and his running mate, Shettima, in the next presidential election, while extending the same support to governors, National Assembly members and state lawmakers.
Both leaders called for unity within the ruling party, stressing that sustained grassroots engagement and cooperation among its political structures would be crucial to securing victory in 2027.