Shettima Urges North to Back Tinubu’s Re-election Bid in 2027

Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged northern leaders and residents to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying the region has no reason to fear another four years under the current administration.

Shettima made the appeal on Monday when he received a delegation from Arewa for Tinubu (A4A), a northern-based think tank campaigning for Tinubu’s return to office. He called on political leaders and citizens across the region to unite behind the president and prioritise development and public welfare.

The vice president said the North had benefited from federal appointments, projects and government programmes under Tinubu’s administration. He argued that the region stood to gain further if the president secured a second term.

Shettima cited the Bank of Agriculture’s reported disbursement of N450 billion to 700,000 smallholder farmers across Nigeria, saying about 70 per cent of the beneficiaries were from the North. He also pointed to ongoing government projects as part of the administration’s efforts to promote development in different parts of the country.

He thanked the delegation for supporting Tinubu and encouraged its members to intensify their mobilisation efforts across communities, wards and local government areas in the region.

Earlier, the Director General of Arewa for Asiwaju, former Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru, said the group intended to engage religious leaders, including Muslim and Christian clerics, as well as other prominent Nigerians, to advocate support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in the 2027 election. He added that the organisation was working with the Presidential Campaign Council while focusing on grassroots mobilisation.

The organisation’s Board of Trustees chairman and former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, said A4A would renew its efforts after supporting Tinubu’s election in 2023. According to him, the group had been meeting northern governors and other stakeholders to discuss collaboration ahead of the next election.

Shekarau also announced plans for a dedicated secretariat to coordinate the organisation’s activities, with offices for directors and state coordinators. He invited Shettima to commission the A4A office complex on October 17, 2027. Former governors and senior government officials, including Simon Lalong, Joshua Dariye, Yahaya Bello and Buba Marwa, were among those present at the meeting.