By Musa Baba Adamu
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerians, particularly voters in the North, to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying the President deserves political reciprocity for his past support for northern leaders.
Shettima made the appeal on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, where he urged the region to rally behind Tinubu ahead of the next general election.
According to him, the President had demonstrated political loyalty to several prominent northern politicians over the years, making it appropriate for the region to reciprocate by supporting his second-term ambition.
The Vice President cited Tinubu’s support for former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu as examples of his political relationships with northern leaders.
He recalled that Tinubu provided Atiku with a platform to contest the presidency in 2007 following his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also referenced Tinubu’s backing of Ribadu during his presidential bid on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN).
Shettima further highlighted Tinubu’s role in mobilizing support for Buhari during the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections, saying the former Lagos State governor worked to secure victory for the late President.
He maintained that Tinubu’s political history with the North should count in his favour as Nigerians prepare to elect a president in 2027.
“We have come to ask Nigerians to renew our mandate from top to bottom,” Shettima said, according to the report.
Beyond his appeal for political support, the Vice President defended the Tinubu administration’s record, pointing to projects and initiatives in education, healthcare and infrastructure as evidence of its activities in northern Nigeria.
In Kaduna State, he listed the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, the conversion to a Federal University of Education in Zaria, a vocational institute in Rigachikun and the Federal Medical Centre in Kafanchan among the projects he highlighted.
On infrastructure, Shettima cited developments involving the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, the Kano-Maradi railway, the Lagos-Kano rail corridor and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road.
He also pointed to the Sokoto-Badagry highway, saying the project could open up agricultural areas, facilitate economic activities and create opportunities for communities along its route.
The Vice President expressed confidence that further development projects would be delivered in the region if Tinubu secured another term, urging voters to support the administration in the 2027 elections.
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