Vice President Kashim Shettima has clarified his recent remarks about northern governors’ support for President Bola Tinubu. In a statement on Thursday, his office said his reference to six governors who “believed in and supported” Tinubu was limited to political consultations before the APC presidential primary in June 2022.
The 2022 APC primary was a contested affair. Tinubu faced northern governors who preferred other candidates. The political alignments before the primary shaped the general election coalition. In 2023, Shettima’s selection as running mate was part of that balancing act. His comments in Ilorin on Wednesday reopened an old wound.
Speaking at the turbaning of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as Sardauna of Ilorin, Shettima said only six of 19 northern governors supported Tinubu. He identified former Niger Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and AbdulRazaq as two. The remark triggered interpretations that northern governors were lukewarm in the 2023 election.
His office moved quickly. The statement said the comment was not about post-primary support. Northern APC governors rallied behind Tinubu after he won the primary. They campaigned for his victory. Shettima regrets any interpretation suggesting otherwise. The clarification is standard political damage control. The timing is telling. Political activity for 2027 is intensifying. Any suggestion of northern disloyalty to Tinubu is dangerous.
The subtext is the 2027 coalition. Shettima is northern. Tinubu is southern. The northern governors are critical to any re-election bid. Shettima’s original remark was either a gaffe or a signal. The clarification suggests it was a gaffe.
Winners: Northern governors, who receive affirmation of their support. The presidency, which avoids a northern grievance narrative. Losers: Shettima, who was forced to clarify. Political commentators, who lose a talking point. The public, which receives another exercise in political messaging.
Bottom Line: Shettima said six. His office said all. The clarification is more revealing than the original remark. In Nigerian politics, the number of supporters matters less than the perception of loyalty.