‘Nigeria Is Working Again’ — Shettima Defends Tinubu at APC Event

‘Nigeria Is Working Again’ — Shettima Defends Tinubu at APC Event

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday formally submitted the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, officially entering the incumbent into the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary race ahead of the 2027 general election.

The forms were submitted at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (BATICC) in Abuja on the final day fixed by the ruling party for the submission of nomination documents by aspirants seeking elective offices under the APC platform.

The event, attended by top APC leaders, governors, ministers, lawmakers and party supporters, turned into a major endorsement gathering for the president, with party officials insisting that Tinubu deserved another term based on what they described as his economic reforms, infrastructure drive and efforts to stabilise the country.

The submission came barely 24 hours after the APC National Working Committee (NWC), during its 188th meeting in Abuja, waived the mandatory screening process for President Tinubu.

The party leadership argued that subjecting Tinubu to another screening exercise would be unnecessary since he had already undergone screening before emerging as the APC presidential candidate in 2022.

According to the APC, the president had also received overwhelming endorsements from the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), the National Assembly leadership and other organs of the party during the APC National Summit held on May 22, 2025.

The waiver effectively grants Tinubu automatic clearance to participate in the party’s presidential primary without appearing before any screening committee.

Speaking during the submission ceremony, Shettima described the moment as a reaffirmation of confidence in Tinubu’s leadership, insisting that the administration had successfully navigated Nigeria through difficult economic conditions.

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“The President has delivered on the mandate of stability and national revival. The storms of the past years have not diminished him. They have made a party hero out of him,” the Vice President said.

He defended the administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms, arguing that the decisions were necessary to prevent deeper economic collapse.

According to Shettima, Nigeria’s foreign reserves stood at about $33.99 billion when Tinubu assumed office, a figure he claimed was insufficient to sustain fuel importation for more than one month.

Rather than shifting blame, he said, Tinubu took “bold and painful decisions” aimed at restoring investor confidence and stabilising the economy.

“We have crossed the river. We are out of the dark tunnel. Nigeria is on a path to recovery and growth,” Shettima declared.

He urged Nigerians across political, religious and ethnic lines to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described the occasion as “a celebration of continuity, courage and reform,” insisting that the president had laid a strong foundation for long-term economic transformation.

Yilwatda reminded party members that the APC National Executive Committee (NEC), the party’s second-highest decision-making body, had already unanimously endorsed Tinubu for a second term during its previous meeting.

“All of us seated here who are members of NEC are bound by the decision we made last year as a commitment to Mr President,” he said.

The APC chairman said the decision to waive the screening process was intended to preserve the integrity of that earlier endorsement.

He also highlighted major infrastructure projects being executed under the Tinubu administration, including the Lagos–Kano–Maradi railway corridor, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, and the over 1,000-kilometre Badagry–Sokoto highway project.

According to him, the Maradi dry port initiative would position Nigeria as a major commercial gateway for landlocked African countries such as Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso.

He further claimed that the Badagry-Sokoto transport corridor would support irrigation systems and boost agricultural production across several northern states.

Meanwhile, governors elected under the APC platform unanimously endorsed Tinubu for a second term and backed a consensus arrangement for his emergence as the party’s sole presidential candidate.

Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, announced the position while addressing party stakeholders during the event.

According to him, all 31 APC-controlled states are united behind Tinubu and committed to campaigning based on the administration’s achievements.

Uzodimma noted that the governors’ endorsement was consistent with resolutions reached at the APC Political Summit last year, where governors urged Tinubu to seek re-election.

“We are united behind the President and fully committed to marketing the achievements of this administration to Nigerians,” he stated.

Despite the APC’s endorsements, opposition parties and critics of the administration continue to argue that the country is facing severe economic hardship, rising inflation, insecurity and unemployment under Tinubu’s government.

Labour unions and civil society organisations have repeatedly criticised the impact of fuel subsidy removal, rising electricity tariffs and the depreciation of the naira on ordinary Nigerians.

However, APC leaders insist the reforms are beginning to yield positive results and argue that continuity is necessary to sustain economic recovery efforts.

With Tinubu now formally entered into the APC primary race, political activities surrounding the 2027 presidential election are expected to intensify in the coming months.

‘Nigeria Is Working Again’ — Shettima Defends Tinubu at APC Event