Vice President Kashim Shettima on Saturday took a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, recalling how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu provided him with political refuge and a platform to contest the 2007 presidential election after he was forced out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Shettima, who spoke at the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna, said Tinubu’s longstanding support for northern presidential candidates demonstrated his commitment to the region and justified the North’s continued support for his re-election in 2027.

The Vice President reminded northerners that Tinubu had backed three prominent northern politicians in their presidential ambitions: Atiku in 2007; former presidential candidate and current National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu in 2011; and the late President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and 2019.

He argued that Tinubu’s political history had established him as a dependable ally of the North, dismissing any suggestion that the region had grounds to withdraw its support from the President.

Shettima said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one person who has fiercely identified with the North over the years.

“It is pertinent to mention that when our former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, was harassed and chased out of the PDP, with his tail between his legs, he ran to the Lion of Bourdillon, who gave him political succour and support and a platform to contest for the presidency of this country in 2007.”

The Vice President recalled that Tinubu subsequently backed Ribadu’s presidential ambition in 2011 before throwing his political weight behind Buhari’s successful presidential campaign in 2015 and his re-election in 2019.

“Again, in 2011, President Tinubu supported another northern man, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to contest for the presidency of this country.

“And you can be a witness that in 2015 and 2019, President Tinubu stood solidly behind the late President Muhammadu Buhari and secured him his first and second-term victories”, he said.

The historical references followed Tinubu’s involvement in the defunct Action Congress, which provided Atiku the platform for his 2007 presidential bid, and the Action Congress of Nigeria, which fielded Ribadu in 2011.

Shettima said the President’s political sacrifices and commitment to northern interests were sufficient reasons for the region to stand firmly behind his second-term ambition.

He maintained that supporting Tinubu’s re-election was a matter of honour, political loyalty, and appreciation for his contributions to advancing northern political leaders over the years.

The Vice President also defended the administration’s economic reforms, insisting that the government had successfully held the country together despite predictions that its policies would trigger an economic collapse.

According to him, the administration’s achievements resulted from collective sacrifice, political cooperation, and the leadership’s determination to confront challenges threatening Nigeria’s stability.

“We have come to you with a heart full of gratitude. Gratitude for standing with us. Gratitude for believing in us. Gratitude for understanding that after the storm comes ease”, he told the gathering.

Shettima said the administration had shown the competence and sincerity needed to navigate the country’s difficulties.

“We couldn’t have been here today without the faith you have in us. So, thank you.

“We are qualified to come to you because you know, beyond the mischief, beyond the lies, beyond the hypocrisies, and beyond the agenda, that Nigeria needs its finest servants to stand together.

“What we have done is to fight for the survival of this nation”, he declared.

He attributed the administration’s ability to withstand economic pressures and preserve national stability to cooperation among political leaders and the confidence Nigerians had continued to repose in the government.

“We were able to keep this country together and defy the predictions of those who had predicted the implosion of our economy because we worked together”, he said.

Reflecting on the 2023 presidential election, Shettima argued that Nigerians did not elect Tinubu because of the wealth, educational qualifications or rhetorical abilities of the APC leadership, but because they recognised the dangers he claimed were associated with the available alternatives.

“Almost four years ago, you spoke eloquently, sincerely, boldly and decisively to elect a change-maker, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We didn’t win that election because we were wise. Far from it. We didn’t win that election because we were rich, and we didn’t win that election because we were educated.

“We didn’t win that election because we were the best speakers. We won because you saw options before you and knew without a doubt that the alternative was a calamity”, he stated.

The Vice President urged Nigerians to renew their confidence in the ruling party, saying the APC had shown it could deliver on electoral promises and sustain development across the country.

Addressing the people of Kaduna State, Shettima praised Governor Uba Sani for promoting unity and development in a state previously troubled by divisions.

He said the governor’s inclusive leadership had strengthened relationships among communities and created an atmosphere in which residents from different parts of the state could regard themselves as members of one political family.

According to him, the administration had helped bridge longstanding divisions between communities in Southern and Northern Kaduna while extending development programmes across the state.

He said these achievements gave voters sufficient grounds to renew Sani’s mandate alongside President Tinubu’s.

“This is the legacy of the APC in Kaduna State. This is the mandate we have come to ask you to renew, a second term for the APC from top to bottom”, Shettima declared.

The Vice President also listed educational projects and skills development initiatives among the achievements of the federal and Kaduna State governments.

He cited the establishment of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, the transition of the Federal College of Education, Zaria, to university status, and the establishment of vocational training institutions as evidence of the party’s commitment to restoring Kaduna’s reputation as a centre of learning.

He particularly highlighted the vocational training centres in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru Kataf, saying they had produced more than 4,000 graduates.

Shettima also identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as an intervention that had provided educational financing to hundreds of thousands of students in tertiary institutions.

He Insisted the developments showed the administration’s determination to expand access to education, promote skills acquisition, and create opportunities for young Nigerians.

Turning to federal infrastructure projects across Northern Nigeria, the Vice President dismissed suggestions that Tinubu’s administration had neglected the region.

He said the government had maintained a policy of continuing important projects inherited from previous administrations rather than abandoning them for political reasons.

According to him, this approach has led to substantial progress on several strategic infrastructure projects expected to improve transportation, energy supply, agricultural production, and economic integration across the northern states.

“We have built a record of continuing projects initiated by our predecessors”, he said.

He listed the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, Kano-Maradi Railway, Lagos-Kano Rail Corridor and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road among projects receiving attention under the administration.

Shettima also highlighted ongoing work on the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, describing the road project as a major infrastructure intervention that would create opportunities for agricultural production and economic activities.

He maintained that the projects provided concrete evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to developing Northern Nigeria and the country’s broader economic transformation.

The Vice President urged northerners to judge the President by his political history, commitment to the region, and infrastructure investments rather than his opponents’ claims.

He said the APC had earned Nigerians’ confidence to return for another mandate because it had remained faithful to its commitment to national unity, economic recovery, and development. (The Nation)