Vice President Kashim Shettima has reminded Nigeria’s politicians that political contests are supposed to end when the votes are counted, not continue indefinitely like a television series that refuses to reach its final episode. Speaking in Ilorin on Wednesday, Shettima said President Bola Tinubu forgave northern governors who did not support his presidential ambition in 2023 and urged politicians in Kwara State to similarly bury their differences after political contests.
The Vice President spoke during the turbaning of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari. With Nigeria already moving toward the 2027 political season, Shettima’s message effectively arrived as a reminder that today’s political opponent could tomorrow become the person sharing the same podium — and possibly the same handshake.
From Six Supporters to a Presidential Victory
Shettima said that, out of the 19 northern states, only six governors supported Tinubu’s presidential ambition during the 2023 election campaign, while Tinubu continued his campaign despite the limited northern backing. The Vice President also recalled the political atmosphere surrounding the contest and references to the slogan “Baba bayan sunshi,” which he said reflected claims at the time that former President Muhammadu Buhari did not want Tinubu to succeed him.
The 2023 presidential election ultimately produced Tinubu as the declared winner, with the Independent National Electoral Commission recording 8,794,726 votes for him, ahead of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. Shettima’s latest account focuses less on the old battlefield and more on what happened afterward: according to him, Tinubu reached out to northern governors who had opposed his bid. In other words, the political calendar moved on — even if political memories apparently needed a little encouragement to do the same.
Shettima Urges Kwara Politicians to Reconcile After Political Contests
Shettima’s appeal has particular relevance in Kwara, where disagreements followed the All Progressives Congress governorship primary and some aggrieved aspirants and supporters reportedly formed the G-15. He urged politicians to regard political contests as temporary and warned against allowing election disagreements to become permanent divisions.
His prescription was straightforward: compete during the contest, but reconcile after it. Shettima described political power as temporary and urged public officials to exercise it with humility and responsibility. For politicians watching the road to 2027, the message could therefore be summarised in unusually simple language: today’s campaign meeting is not necessarily tomorrow’s family reunion, but nobody should burn the meeting hall on the way out.
Shettima also used the occasion to defend the Tinubu administration’s handling of the economic challenges it inherited, saying the government’s economic team had concentrated on stabilisation rather than spending its time blaming previous administrations. He said the administration had continued working to turn the economy around.
The Vice President further praised the Emir of Ilorin for conferring the Sardauna title on AbdulRazaq and said the honour would strengthen the relationship between the governor’s family and the Ilorin Emirate. He also inaugurated the Kwara State Revenue House and a garment factory in Ilorin.
For now, Shettima’s message is clear: political contests should have an expiry date, while relationships should not necessarily expire with them. Whether Kwara’s politicians will take the reconciliation advice seriously — and whether the 2027 political season will produce more handshakes than grudges — remains part of the unfolding story. Watch out for future updates on this developing political story on OGM News NG
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