Vice President [Kashim Shettima](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashim_Shettima) on Saturday defended President [Bola Ahmed Tinubu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bola_Ahmed_Tinubu) during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag‑off in Kaduna, asserting that Tinubu has consistently backed northern leaders and deserves the region’s support for a second term.
He highlighted three factual points: Tinubu helped former Vice President Atiku Abubakar secure a presidential platform after Atiku was expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007; Tinubu backed Nuhu Ribadu’s 2011 presidential bid; and Tinubu played a decisive role in President Muhammadu Buhari’s victories in 2015 and 2019. Shettima quoted, “President Tinubu is one person who has fiercely identified with the North over the years.”
**Why did Shettima mention Atiku’s 2007 exit from the PDP?**
He recalled that when Atiku was “harassed and chased out of the PDP in 2007, he ran to the Lion of Bourdillon, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who gave him political succour, support and a platform to contest for the presidency.” This anecdote was used to counter claims that Tinubu is indifferent to the North.
**What record does Shettima cite to justify the APC’s appeal to northern voters?**
He argued that the administration’s achievements, not sentiment, drive support. He listed education investments such as the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, the upgrade of the Federal University of Education, Zaria, and funding for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). He also pointed to major infrastructure projects: the Ajaokuta‑Kaduna‑Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, the Kano‑Maradi railway, the Lagos‑Kano rail corridor, the Abuja‑Kaduna‑Kano highway, and the Sokoto‑Badagry Super Highway, noting that these are continuations of initiatives started by previous governments.
**How did APC campaign chief Abdulaziz Yari reinforce Shettima’s statements?**
Senator [Abdulaziz Yari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdulaziz_Yari), Director‑General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, echoed the defence of Tinubu, urging critics to explain why the North should not support the president. He recapped Tinubu’s past assistance: providing Atiku a platform in 2007, supporting Ribadu in 2011, and backing Buhari’s victories in 2015. Yari concluded, “Today, what evidence do we have not to support him for a second term?” and expressed confidence that Tinubu’s record and long‑standing relationship with the North would secure his re‑election.
Overall, the speech framed Tinubu’s political patronage of northern figures as a decisive factor for continued regional backing, positioning the APC’s northern outreach as rooted in tangible governance outcomes rather than mere rhetoric.