Vice President Kashim Shettima has raised the alarm over possible divisions within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), admitting that internal conflicts pose a greater threat to the party’s re-election bid than opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
Shettima, who spoke in Abuja on Saturday, warned APC members against allowing internal rivalries to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He spoke at the unveiling of the campaign headquarters of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), a northern coalition established to mobilise support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
“Honestly, I am not afraid of the Peoples Democratic Party. I am not afraid of a diminished Peter Obi. But I am more afraid of internal contradictions within our household,” the Vice President declared.
“If we unite as a people, as a family, we will conquer.”
The warning came as Shettima urged northern APC leaders to avoid supporting the President’s re-election campaign while working against the party’s candidates in governorship and other elections.
“There is no point in championing the cause of the presidential election and then undermining the governor in the gubernatorial election. Honestly, it will not go down well with the system,” he said.
He called on party members to close ranks behind Tinubu, state governors and members of the National Assembly to secure victory in the next round of elections.
“Let’s rally round our governors. Let’s rally round our members of the National Assembly. Let’s rally round President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and see to the victory in the next round of elections,” he added.
Shettima also expressed confidence that the North would deliver substantial support for Tinubu, insisting that the region had already made its political choice.
“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,” he said.
He urged party leaders to intensify their mobilisation efforts, warning that the election battle required renewed commitment and a united front.
On former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Shettima challenged APC members to defeat him at the polls without resorting to hostility.
“Go and perform. Go and defeat Baba Atiku. Defeat him respectfully,” he said.
The Vice President also cited the APC’s organisational structure as an advantage, claiming the party had enough officials to monitor every polling unit across the country.
According to him, Nigeria has 176,845 polling units, while the APC has 361,045 officials across its ward and local government structures.
He argued that the figures gave the party the capacity to deploy at least two officials to every polling unit, stressing the importance of effective grassroots mobilisation.
Shettima further warned political appointees that their positions would not shield them from accountability for the party’s performance in their communities.
“Politics is still local,” he said, disclosing that he had directed the Borno State governor to compile a list of political appointees from the state down to the local government level.
He said each appointee would be expected to account for the APC’s performance at his or her polling unit, ward and local government.
The Vice President also touted the party’s growing strength in the North, claiming that 18 of the region’s 19 states were under APC control.
He further claimed that 15 of the 18 House of Representatives members elected on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano State had defected to the APC.
Despite his confidence in the party’s political strength, Shettima acknowledged the economic hardship facing Nigerians, warning the government against relying solely on praise from supporters.
“Every household struggling to make ends meet reminds us how much remains to be done,” he said.
“We lose our hearing when applause becomes our only source of information.”
Defending Tinubu’s economic policies, the Vice President said the President inherited a fragile economy when he assumed office in May 2023.
He claimed Nigeria’s foreign reserves stood at $3.9 billion at the time, barely enough to cover one month of oil imports, while the government’s Ways and Means obligations exceeded N27 trillion.
“Nigeria was on the road to Caracas. The economy was teetering on the brink of collapse. He literally saved the nation,” Shettima said.
He also claimed that the country’s foreign reserves had risen to about $58.9 billion, describing the development as evidence of progress under the Tinubu administration.
Shettima assured northern Nigerians that another Tinubu presidency would protect the region’s interests.
“For the North, we have absolutely nothing to fear in a Tinubu second term. He has the North at heart,” he said.
APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, also called for Tinubu’s re-election, moving a motion at the event for the President to secure a second term.
“Today is a time for us to renew a mandate that was largely supported by the North, and the North again will largely support the return of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term,” Yilwatda said.
He cited federal infrastructure projects in the region, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano and Kano-Maiduguri highways, as evidence of the administration’s commitment to northern development.
Meanwhile, former Jigawa State governor and Director-General of A4A, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, said the coalition’s new campaign headquarters was located at No. 4 Port Harcourt Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
Badaru described the facility as “the biggest campaign office anywhere in the country”, insisting that it represented the North’s determination to mobilise support for Tinubu’s return.
“Let it be understood that this building is more than just a campaign office. It is a message. It says that Arewa is serious,” he said.
He added that the coalition would pursue a disciplined, peaceful and issue-based campaign, taking its message to markets, farms, campuses, mosques and churches.
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