…VP rallies governors, lawmakers behind President’s second-term bid
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday put paid to lingering rumours of a rift with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after personally submitting the President’s nomination and expression of interest forms for the 2027 presidential election to the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.
The development comes amid months of largely unfounded speculations over an alleged strained relationship between Tinubu and Shettima, fuelled by claims of possible political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections and reports suggesting the Vice President could be dropped as running mate.
However, Thursday’s high-profile appearance by Shettima at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, alongside top party leaders, governors and lawmakers, was widely interpreted as a public show of unity within the Presidency and the ruling party.
Submitting the forms to APC national officers, Shettima urged governors elected on the platform of the party, members of the National Assembly and Nigerians generally to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
According to him, the President had demonstrated the courage and leadership needed to steer Nigeria out of economic and social difficulties.
“We are here as Nigerians, and as members of the APC, to submit this very priceless nomination form of our dear President and leader, His Excellency, Bola Tinubu, as he seeks to lead us for another four-year term,” Shettima said.
“Through thick and thin, Tinubu has proved his mettle and has shown the world that his capacity and resolve to pull the nation out of the woods remain unfazed.”
The Vice President said the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration was already producing positive socio-economic outcomes across the country.
“The socio-economic impacts have been phenomenal in pushing out positive results,” he stated.
Shettima also defended some of the administration’s difficult economic reforms, saying they were necessary to stabilise the economy and secure Nigeria’s long-term future.
“His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, has delivered on the mandate of renewal, stability, and national rebirth,” he said.
“The storms of the past years have not diminished him; they have made a fine sailor out of him.
“He has steered this ship through turbulent waters with courage, taking difficult but necessary decisions to stabilise the economy, restore confidence, and prepare Nigeria for a more sustainable future.”
He added that all Nigerians had a responsibility to protect the country’s democratic future by supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
“On behalf of our great party, I ask all Nigerians to support this nomination and, by the special grace of God, the candidacy of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 is victorious,” he said.
The public demonstration of loyalty by the Vice President comes against the backdrop of repeated reports alleging tensions within the Presidency, particularly over permutations for the 2027 elections.
In recent months, rumours had circulated that Tinubu might replace Shettima as running mate amid pressure from some political interests in the Northwest, while other reports claimed the Vice President was being sidelined within the administration.
Speculation also intensified following debates over presidential power transmission during some of Tinubu’s foreign trips, as well as unverified reports alleging Shettima had been marginalised by close presidential allies.
Both the Presidency and the APC have repeatedly dismissed the claims as fabricated and mischievous, insisting that Shettima continues to enjoy the confidence of the President and remains actively involved in governance.
Amid the rumours, the Vice President has continued to chair meetings of the National Economic Council, represent the President at major state functions, and lead key government engagements.
Also speaking at Thursday’s event, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, praised Tinubu’s leadership during what he described as a difficult period in Nigeria’s history.
According to Abbas, the President’s bold reforms and difficult policy decisions had placed the country on the path of economic recovery and progress.
APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, said Tinubu’s performance, alongside that of APC governors, justified the party’s endorsement of his re-election bid.
He maintained that the ruling party had delivered significantly across critical sectors of the economy.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, also assured Tinubu of the support of APC governors.
Uzodinma said the President’s leadership had strengthened the party’s dominance across the states and the National Assembly, pledging that governors elected on the APC platform would work for his re-election in 2027.