Vice President Kashim Shettima has said only six of the 19 northern governors supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential bid during the 2023 election.
Shettima made the disclosure on Wednesday at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR, during the turbaning of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the Sardauna of the Ilorin Emirate.
According to the vice president, the political tension surrounding the 2023 presidential campaign and election was intense, but Tinubu remained determined to pursue his ambition despite opposition from some quarters.
“You all know that we have 19 states in the North. Out of these, only six actually believed in and supported Tinubu, but Tinubu refused to be deterred. He was able to cross the road,” Shettima said.
He recalled that opposition to Tinubu’s candidacy included the slogan “Baba bayan sushi,” which he said reflected then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged lack of support for Tinubu at the time.
Shettima also compared Tinubu’s political resilience with that of Buhari, whom he described as a politician who would resist attempts to pressure or manipulate him during political negotiations.
The vice president urged politicians in Nigeria to treat political contests as temporary and prioritize reconciliation after elections. He cited Tinubu’s relationship with northern governors who had opposed his candidacy as an example.
“After the 2023 election, President Tinubu hugged and forgave all other northern governors that did not support him. That is a mark of a good leader,” he said.
Shettima also appealed to politicians in Kwara State to close ranks after the All Progressives Congress primaries, urging them to emulate what he described as Tinubu’s willingness to reconcile with political opponents.
He further said the Tinubu administration inherited about $3.9 billion in government funds but chose to proceed with its economic programme despite the challenges. Shettima said the administration’s economic team had continued working to improve the country’s economy.
Earlier in the day, the vice president inaugurated the state’s Revenue House on Ahmadu Bello Way and a garment factory, both in Ilorin.
