Shettima says northern governors remark referred to APC primary

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said his comment about six northern governors supporting President Bola Tinubu referred to political consultations before the 2022 APC presidential primary, not support for Tinubu after he became the party’s candidate.

The clarification came from Shettima’s media office after his remarks at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin drew attention. He had said only six of the 19 northern governors believed in and supported Tinubu, naming former Niger State governor Abubakar Sani Bello and Kwara State governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq among them.

In a statement, Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, said the reference was limited to the period before the APC primary in June 2022.

The statement said it was not meant to question the support of northern APC governors during the 2023 presidential election. It added that northern APC governors later rallied round Tinubu and played roles in the campaign that led to his victory.

Shettima also said Tinubu reconciled with northern governors who did not support his presidential bid after the election. His office said the Vice President regretted any interpretation that suggested otherwise and asked the media to keep public remarks in context as the next political season approaches.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard, Daily Post