Shettima clarifies northern govs’ support for Tinubu, condoles Lamido over Tukur - The Guardian Nigeria News

Vice President Kashim Shettima has clarified his remarks on the northern governors’ support for President Bola Tinubu, saying that the comments referred specifically to political consultations and alignments ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary in June 2022.

According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima’s reference to six northern governors who supported Tinubu was specific to the period preceding the APC primary and was not intended to question the entire northern region’s governors’ subsequent support for his presidential bid.

He described Tukur’s death as a major loss not only to the Adamawa Emirate and the state but also to Nigeria as a whole, pointing to his years of service in public office and his role in shaping national development.

Nkwocha’s clarification followed interpretations suggesting that some northern APC governors may not have supported Tinubu after he emerged as the party’s presidential candidate, with the office saying that the APC governors in the north rallied around Tinubu afterwards towards his victory in the 2023 general election.

The clarification, therefore, draws a clear distinction between the political consultations and alignments preceding the APC’s June 2022 presidential primary and the subsequent mobilisation of northern APC governors behind Tinubu during the 2023 presidential campaign.