Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said only six of the 19 northern governors supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid, but the opposition did not stop him.
Shettima spoke on Wednesday at the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, during the turbaning of Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate.
“You all know that we have 19 states in the North. Out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu. 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. 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,” the Vice President said.
He urged politicians, especially in Kwara, to reconcile after APC primaries and avoid turning political contests into permanent enmity.
“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 urged leaders to serve humbly, saying political power comes from God.
“Power is given by God to the people He so wishes and not because they are better than other people,” Shettima said.
He defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying the government inherited about $3.9 billion and chose reforms over blame.
Shettima also praised AbdulRazaq, inaugurated the Kwara Revenue House and a garment factory, while dignitaries including governors Umar Bago, Uba Sani and Hope Uzodimma attended the ceremony.
