Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday urged politicians in Kwara State to embrace reconciliation after political contests, revealing that President Bola Tinubu forgave northern governors who did not support his presidential ambition during the 2023 general election.
Shettima made the appeal in Ilorin during the turbaning ceremony of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate, a title conferred by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
Speaking amid political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Vice President called on politicians to avoid allowing election-related disagreements to create lasting divisions.
“I call on all of us to unite in this political season and play politics without bitterness. The truth that sets us free is also the truth that people don’t want to hear,” Shettima said.
Shettima recalled that Tinubu entered the 2023 presidential race despite receiving support from only a handful of governors in Northern Nigeria.
According to him, out of the 19 northern states, only six governors openly backed Tinubu’s candidacy.
“You all know that we have 19 states in the North. Out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu, but Tinubu refused to be deterred. He was able to cross the road,” he said.
The Vice President said Tinubu also faced political narratives suggesting that former President Muhammadu Buhari was not in support of his succession bid.
He referenced the slogan “Baba bayan sunshi,” which was widely used during the campaign period to imply that Buhari did not endorse Tinubu’s ambition.
Despite the opposition, Shettima said Tinubu chose reconciliation after emerging victorious in the election rather than holding grudges against those who worked against him.
“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,” the Vice President stated.
He urged politicians in Kwara State, particularly those involved in ongoing contests for political offices, to emulate the President by setting aside differences once political competitions are over.
Shettima’s remarks come as the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) battles internal disagreements following its governorship primary election.
Some aggrieved aspirants and their supporters have reportedly formed a pressure group known as the G-15, protesting the outcome of the party’s primary.
Addressing the politicians, the Vice President reminded them that political power is temporary and should be exercised with humility and a spirit of service.
“As public office holders, we spend more of our lives outside public offices than we do in public offices. Let us embrace each other, let us have the courage to serve with humility,” he said.
He added that occupying public office is not necessarily a reflection of intelligence, pedigree or personal ability.
“We are in power not because of our pedigree, intellect, ability or physical build, but by destiny. What brings us together supersedes what separates us,” Shettima said.
The Vice President also defended the Tinubu administration’s handling of Nigeria’s economic challenges, saying the President inherited a struggling economy but chose to focus on reforms instead of blaming previous administrations.
“The economic team forged ahead to turn the economy around; today, Nigeria is better for it,” he said.
