Shettima clarifies remarks on northern governors’ support for President Tinubu in 2023

The Office of the Vice President has clarified recent remarks by Vice President Kashim Shettima regarding President Bola Tinubu’s backing from northern governors in 2023.

Mr Shettima’s media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, in a statement, said that Mr Shettima’s reference to six northern governors pertained strictly to early political consultations preceding the June 2022 APC presidential primary.

It was not intended to reflect the post-primary stance of northern governors or to downplay their crucial contributions during the 2023 general election, Mr Nkwocha said.

He said that following President Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s candidate, APC governors across the North rallied behind him, playing vital roles in securing the party’s victory.

The statement added that Mr Shettima reiterated his deep respect for all northern governors and APC leaders, fully recognising their collective efforts in building party unity and electoral success.

Read the full clarification below:

The Office of the Vice President wishes to clarify remarks by Vice President Kashim Shettima concerning the support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received from northern governors in the build-up to his emergence as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Vice President’s reference to six northern governors who believed in and supported President Tinubu was specifically about political consultations and alignments preceding the APC presidential primary in June 2022.

It was not a comment on the position of northern APC governors following President Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s candidate, nor was it intended to question their support during the 2023 presidential election.

Following the presidential primary, APC governors in the North rallied around the party’s candidate. They played important roles in the campaign and electoral efforts that culminated in President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election. Indeed, it is worth noting that after President Tinubu was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential primaries, all other governors across the country rallied round and followed suit. That declaration by the northern governors thus became the moment of alignment across all political divides in the quest for a power shift.

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VP Shettima holds the northern governors and other APC leaders in high regard and recognises their individual and collective contributions to the party’s success and the emergence of President Tinubu.

The Vice President regrets any interpretation of his remarks that may have suggested otherwise and hopes this clarification places the comments in their proper context.

VP Shettima also appreciates the Nigerian media for its longstanding professionalism and constructive engagement with his office, and urges continued accuracy and context in reporting public remarks as the country approaches another political season.

Stanley Nkwocha
Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications
(Office of The Vice President)
17th September, 2026