Shettima: What We Have Done Is Fight for the Survival of Nigeria

Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerians to support and vote for candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections, saying the administration of President Bola Tinubu has been working to preserve the unity and economic stability of the country.

Shettima made the call in Kaduna while addressing supporters, where he defended the Tinubu administration and appealed to voters to renew the APC’s mandate from the presidency to other levels of government.

According to the Vice President, the administration’s actions should be viewed beyond political criticism, describing its efforts as a struggle for the survival of Nigeria.

“Beyond the lies, beyond the hypocrisy, and beyond the agenda, Nigeria needs its finest servants to stand together. What we have done is to fight for the survival of this nation,” Shettima said.

He expressed gratitude to Nigerians for supporting the administration, saying the government dared to seek their continued support because it believed it had remained committed to its promises.

Shettima said the APC won the 2023 presidential election because Nigerians considered the alternatives and chose what they believed was the better option.

“We didn’t win that election because we are wise, far from it. We didn’t win that election because we were rich. And we didn’t win that election because we are educated. We didn’t win that election because we were the best speakers,” he said.

“We won because you saw options before you and knew without a doubt that the alternative was a calamity.”

Addressing the people of Kaduna State, the Vice President commended their support for the APC and said the state had witnessed progress under the party’s leadership.

He listed the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, the transition of the Federal University of Education, Zaria, state vocational institutes with more than 4,000 graduates, and education funding through NELFUND among initiatives he said demonstrated the administration’s commitment to development.

Shettima also highlighted major infrastructure projects across northern Nigeria, including the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, Kano-Maradi railway, Lagos-Kano rail corridor and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road.

He further cited the Sokoto-Madagri Highway as a project expected to create opportunities for agricultural production and economic development.

The Vice President also defended President Tinubu’s political relationship with northern leaders, arguing that Tinubu had consistently supported northern presidential aspirations before becoming president.

He recalled Tinubu’s support for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition in 2007, his backing of former Vice President Namadi Sambo’s political camp in 2011, and his support for former President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 elections.

Shettima said such political history explained why members of the APC had continued to stand behind Tinubu.

“This is a mark of honour and our faith in a man of honour,” he said.

He appealed to voters in Kaduna and across the country to renew the APC’s mandate in 2027, urging them to support the party’s candidates at all levels.