Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said only six of the 19 northern governors supported President Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid in the 2023 election.
Shettima made the disclosure on Wednesday at the palace of Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, Emir of Ilorin, during the turbaning of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate.
The vice-president did not name all six governors who supported Tinubu.
“You all know that we have 19 states in the north. Out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu,” Shettima said.
He identified former Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and AbdulRazaq, who were present at the ceremony, among those who 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,” he said.
Shettima said the governors who backed Tinubu were not more than six, but the president remained determined to pursue his ambition despite the political challenges.
“However, Tinubu refused to be deterred. He was able to cross the road,” he said.
Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won the 2023 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) secured 6,101,533 votes.
Ahead of the election, the APC controlled 14 of the 19 northern states, while the PDP controlled the remaining five.
Shettima said Tinubu’s actions after the election showed that political disagreements should not permanently divide political actors.
“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.
He urged politicians in Kwara State to reconcile after the APC primaries, regardless of who emerges as the party’s candidate.
The vice-president also called on politicians and public officials to serve with humility, noting that political offices are temporary.
“Power is given by God to the people He so wishes and not because they are better than other people,” Shettima said.
He said public officials would eventually return to ordinary life and should use their time in office to serve the people.
Shettima also defended the Tinubu administration’s handling of the economy, saying the government chose to address the challenges it inherited rather than spend its time apportioning blame.
He said the administration inherited about $3.9 billion in its coffers and faced difficult economic conditions when it assumed office.
According to the vice-president, Tinubu remains focused on implementing reforms despite the challenges confronting the country.
Shettima also said Tinubu’s political style was influenced by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he described as a politician who would not allow himself to be arm-twisted during negotiations.
The ceremony was attended by governors, political leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries.
