Vice-President Kashim Shettima has told Northern leaders that they have absolutely nothing to fear if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gets reelected.
Shettima also implored northern leaders and citizens to unite behind the President’s re-election bid, framing the administration’s second-term agenda as a “secure, bulletproof guarantee for the region’s future prosperity and stability.”
Shettima made the call on Monday when he received on a courtesy visit, a delegation from the Arewa for Tinubu (A4A) – a northern-based think tank -:working for the reelection of President Tinubu.
He called on leaders across the region to unite into a single front and work for the progress of the area and the wellbeing of its people, which are top priorities for the Tinubu administration.
According to the VP, the North has no reason to be scared of the re-election of President Tinubu, as it has benefitted immensely in terms of appointments and projects and programmes.
“Let’s unite as a people and work for the development of our region and the progress of our people through the re-election of this administration. We are benefiting and we stand to benefit more from this government in many ways.”
“The Bank of Agriculture has disbursed N450 billion to 700,000 smallholder farmers in Nigeria and about 70 percent of the beneficiaries are from the north.
“The present administration is working towards completing landmark and ground breaking projects in parts of the country. I can assure you that the president loves the north and the president will work for the north.”
The Vice President thanked the group for their steadfast support for Tinubu and appealed to them to work harder and galvanize across wards, communities and local governments in the northern region for the President’s re-election.
Earlier, the Director General of the Area for Asiwaju and former Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, said the organisation will not rest on its oars until they make the North proud by reelecting President Tinubu.
He said the group plans to meet with religious leaders, including Muslim and Christian clerics, as well as other prominent Nigerians to explain to them the need to support the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in 2027.
“On discussions with the high profile, we have gone far. We have met them severally and the BoT is meeting them again to consolidate our gains and to tell them why there is need to support this ticket.
“We are also supporting the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) with whatever they want us to do that is micro in nature because they are so big and we really don’t want to lose sight of the bigger arrangement that is there. We want to focus very well on the contacts at the grassroots – the local government areas and the wards.”
Also, Chairman of the organisation’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, said the think tank which worked for President Tinubu’s election in the 2023 general election will repeat the same feat in 2027.
He said the organisation had been meeting with northern governors and other stakeholders to compare notes and collaborate on areas of working together to achieve the President’s reelection.
He noted that the organisation has concluded plan to have a full-fledged secretariat for purposes of coordination, where there will be offices for directors and state coordinators will compare reports, analyse them, and give out instructions to its members.
The BoT Chairman formally invited the Vice President to officially commission the A4A office complex.
Also present at the meeting were former Governors of Plateau, Chief Joshua Dariye and Senator Simon Lalong; Taraba, Rev. Jolly Nyame; Kogi, Alhaji Yahaya Bello; Katsina, Barr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema; Bauchi, Mallam Isa Yuguda; Special Adviser to The President on Policy ad Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman; Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), some top officials of government, and other members of the A4A BOT and Secretariat.
