VP’s Office Clarifies Shettima’s Remarks on Governors

The Office of the Vice President has clarified remarks by Vice President Kashim Shettima concerning the support President Bola Tinubu received from Northern governors ahead of his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.

In a statement, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communication in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said Shettima’s earlier reference to six Northern governors who backed Tinubu was specifically about “political consultations and alignments preceding the APC presidential primary in June 2022.”

According to the statement, Shettima’s remarks were not a comment on the position of Northern APC governors following Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s candidate, nor were they intended to question their support during the 2023 presidential election.

The statement said that after the presidential primary, APC governors across the North rallied around the party’s candidate and played significant roles in the campaign that led to Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election.

"VP Shettima holds the northern governors and other leaders of the APC in high regard and recognises their individual and collective contributions to the success of the party and the emergence of President Tinubu,” the statement said.

It added that Shettima “regrets any interpretation of his remarks that may have suggested otherwise” and hopes the clarification places his comments in proper context.

Statement Thanks Media For Coverage

The Office of the Vice President also thanked the Nigerian media for what it described as longstanding professionalism, while urging continued accuracy in reporting public remarks as the country heads toward another election cycle.

“VP Shettima also appreciates the Nigerian media for its longstanding professionalism and constructive engagement with his office and urges continued accuracy and context in the reporting of public remarks as the country approaches another political season,” the statement added.

The clarification comes as political alignments within the APC, and between Northern governors and the presidency, continue to draw attention ahead of the 2027 general election, in which Tinubu is expected to seek re-election.