Three key figures of Nigeria’s political leadership, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, on Friday closed ranks behind President Bola Tinubu at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, urging unity, disciplined expansion and closer legislative, executive coordination ahead of the 2027 general elections.

At the gathering inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the trio framed the APC’s future strength around institutional memory, political coalition-building, coherent lawmaking and avoidance of internal fragmentation as the ruling party prepares for a decisive electoral cycle.

Vice President Shettima paid a lengthy tribute to Tinubu’s political evolution, crediting him with sustaining Nigeria’s opposition structures well before the 2013 merger that birthed the APC.

He said Nigeria’s current political map, including the party’s control of 28 states, was rooted in resistance to one-party dominance and the willingness of some leaders to organise when it was risky to do so.

“Politics rewards memory, and today memory must begin with gratitude,” he told NEC members. “Nigeria’s opposition did not survive by accident. It survived because one man refused to surrender the political space.”

Shettima said electoral outcomes will be shaped by coalitions, credibility and political judgment rather than social-media agitation.

“People do not cross over because of slogans,” he said.

“Elections are not won on Facebook or Twitter; they are won by coalitions, credibility and conviction.”

He warned that incumbency alone cannot secure a second cycle, describing 2027 as a responsibility requiring discipline, organisation and an understanding of past lessons.

Senate President Akpabio pledged continued National Assembly backing for Tinubu’s reform agenda, saying lawmakers had processed executive bills and requests “timely” to stabilise governance.

He aligned himself with the presentations of the APC National Chairman, the Progressive Governors’ Forum and the Speaker, saying the documents would guide deliberations when the Senate reconvenes next week.

Akpabio urged governors to work more deliberately with legislators at state and federal levels, arguing that the assembly is closest to the grassroots and essential to democratic consensus.

“In democracy, the National Assembly becomes paramount and therefore needs to be consulted,” he said.

He also announced that amendments to the Electoral Act would be concluded before the end of January to provide clear timelines for congresses, primaries and the 2027 contest, saying legislative adjustments must prevent pre-election administrative gaps.

Akpabio joined governors in approving a fresh vote of confidence on Tinubu, describing the President as navigating “difficult terrain” and insisting that reforms in the economy and security were beginning to show results.

Speaker Abbas focused on delivery and institutional alignment, urging the APC to deepen internal cohesion and view governance “as a contract between the party and the Nigerian people.”

He argued that while parties win elections, institutions deliver outcomes, and history will judge whether APC-led authorities connected the two.

Abbas commended Tinubu’s willingness to pursue “difficult but necessary” reforms and said the House had tried to stabilise them through law, oversight and public representation.

He cited House performance statistics, 2,263 bills processed between June 2023 and June 2025, 237 passed and 68 assented to, calling it the most productive two-year stretch since 1999. Almost 80 per cent of enacted laws originated from private-member bills.

He said these figures demonstrated a cultural shift toward planning, discipline and prioritisation.

Oversight, he noted, had recovered mismanaged funds and improved compliance among ministries and agencies, while inclusion efforts had expanded access for women, youth and persons with disabilities.

Turning to internal politics, Abbas warned that the APC “is not the same party it was in 2015, 2019 or 2023” and that managing relations between founding and newer blocs must become a strategic priority.

“If not handled with sensitivity, fairness and institutional discipline, it can lead to fragmentation, a luxury the party cannot afford,” he said.

He proposed three mechanisms to safeguard cohesion: a quarterly governance-delivery dashboard; a legislative-executive programme grid tracking manifesto promises, bills and budget lines; and stronger internal dispute resolution.

He also called for more rigour in candidate selection to avoid electoral liabilities.

The three echoed a common theme: the APC must remain a party that wins power and earns trust, not through rhetoric, but through governance outcomes.

While Shettima invoked coalition discipline, Akpabio promised legislative acceleration; Abbas pressed for institutional coherence. All three endorsed the vote of confidence in Tinubu earlier delivered by APC governors. (Daily Trust)

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