Vice‑President Kashim Shettima called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to defend President Bola Tinubu’s re‑election bid with facts, transparency and measurable results, warning that the growing support for the administration in the North must not be taken for granted. He made the remarks yesterday in Abuja at the unveiling of the Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) campaign headquarters and the inauguration of the Northern political think tank’s campaign structure for the 2027 presidential election.
Shettima urged the administration to provide an honest account of its economic reforms, acknowledge the difficulties Nigerians are facing and demonstrate how its policies are improving livelihoods ahead of the 2027 general elections. He said the President’s bid for a second term must be anchored on the administration’s record and a clear explanation of how another mandate would advance the interests of Nigerians.
“By now, I believe the North has spoken. We have spoken with a resounding voice and unmistakable conviction. From Adamawa to Zamfara, from Borno to Niger, we have spoken. Such confidence places an obligation upon us that no officeholder should ever underestimate,” Shettima said, stressing that the political goodwill of the North imposes a greater responsibility on the administration and its supporters to remain accountable to Nigerians.
Shettima cautioned APC campaigners against dismissing public concerns or relying on political slogans to justify government policies. “Our citizens have endured difficult adjustments. We cannot pretend otherwise. What we owe them is an honest account of the decisions taken, the gains achieved and the difficulties that persist. We lose our hearing when applause becomes our only source of information,” he said. He highlighted the concerns of traders facing rising costs, graduates searching for employment and families struggling with daily expenses, noting that “a failed policy enters somebody’s home as a missed meal, an unpaid school fee or an opportunity lost.”
He also underscored the importance of criticism in a democracy, urging the administration to remain open to constructive ideas regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion or region. “There is no democracy without critics. Progress demands that our assumptions endure the examination of those who disagree with us,” he said. Shettima charged the A4A campaign organisation to serve not only as a platform for mobilising votes but also as a channel through which citizens could communicate their concerns to those in authority, adding that security, economic opportunities, poverty reduction, education
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
