Shettima: Only Six Northern Governors Believed in and Supported Tinubu in 2023

• Inaugurates 4,000 job-capacity garment factory, revenue service house in Kwara 

•Hails AbdulRazaq’s legacy of continuity at gov’s turbaning as Sardauna of Ilorin 

•Yahaya also greets Kwara gov

Deji Elumoye in Abuja, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin and Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Vice President Kashim Shettima, yesterday, said only six of the 19 northern governors actually supported the presidential ambition of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023.

Shettima made the disclosure at the palace of Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, during the turbaning of the  Kwara State governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as Sardauna of Ilorin Emirate.

According to him, the tension that heralded the 2023 presidential campaign and the election proper was so daring that it could only take a determined politician with a strong heart to continue to pursue his ambition.

He said many clogs were cast on Tinubu’s path to frustrate his focus.

Shettima stated, “You all know that we have 19 states in the north, out of these, only six actually believed and supported Tinubu, but Tinubu refused to be deterred. He was able to cross the road.

“Then, the slogan was: ‘baba bayan sushi’, (Buhari said he didn’t like him), even with all this, Tinubu went ahead with his ambition.

“Just like former President Muhammadu Buhari, Buhari would call your bluff and send you away once you try to arm-twist him in any political negotiation.”

He urged Nigerian politicians not to see politics as a game-of-death but to always reconcile after contest, saying, “After the 2023 election, President Tinubu hugged and forgave all other northern governors that did not support him. That is a mark of a good leader.”

Shettima urged Kwara politicians to close ranks after the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries. He told them to emulate Tinubu’s large heart in any political purpose.

He also hinted that the federal government inherited $3.9 billion in the treasury, but refused to be discouraged, saying, “The economic team forged ahead to turn the economy around, today, Nigeria is better for it.”

Earlier, Shettima inaugurated the 11-storey Kwara Revenue Service (KWRS) House on Ahmadu Bello way and the garment factory, both in Ilorin, the state capital.

The garment factory is a signature project of the administration of AbdulRazaq designed to employ at least 4,000 people at full capacity.

The inauguration of the projects formed part of activities marking the turbaning of AbdulRazaq as Sardauna of Ilorin (the Defence Minister of Ilorin Emirate), by Sulu-Gambari, making the governor the first person to hold the title.

Speaking at the turbaning ceremony, Shettima applauded the legacy of continuity sustained by AbdulRazaq.

He recalled that the governor’s late father, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho AbdulRazaq (SAN), carried an Ilorin name into history as the first lawyer in Northern Nigeria and the first Mutawalle of Ilorin—a title he said remained in the family in celebration of their bond with the emirate.

The vice president stated, “His father, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho AbdulRazaq, SAN, carried an Ilorin name into history as Northern Nigeria’s first lawyer. Every path begins with someone willing to walk without familiar footprints. Through law and diplomacy, his story became part of Nigeria’s own.

“The branch may reach towards another horizon, yet it carries within itself the memory of the root. His father was the first Mutawalle of Ilorin, a title that remains in the family in celebration of their bond with the emirate.

“Today, another chapter enters the family’s relationship with this palace.”

Stating that the continuity of a legacy — such as the one made by AbdulRazaq — summoned reflection on what a name could carry across generations, Shettima said although a surname might be received by a child at birth, the responsibilities attached to that surname must be undertaken afresh.

He stated, “As Governor AbdulRazaq receives his turban, we remember those who preceded him, and we offer prayers for the generations who will encounter this occasion through the stories their elders preserve.

“There is something sobering about celebrating a friend while both of you remain answerable to the demands of public office. Titles will eventually pass into the record of our lives. The human bonds formed along the way should endure beyond the appointments through which other people first came to know us.

“At the National Economic Council, our responsibilities meet in discussions concerning the federation and its states. We consider how economic proposals connect with implementation, financing and the circumstances of communities. That work requires listening across different experiences and respecting the obligations each government carries.

“A federation is sustained through the patient conversation between those who share responsibility for its people. No boundary on an administrative map can divide the dignity Nigerians are entitled to expect.”

Shettima said AbdulRazaq participated in engagements with the federal government and development partners as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, adding that behind this institutional language lies the core responsibility of meeting the needs of farmers, households, and businesses

He lauded the governor’s governance record in Kwara, pointing out that it extends from renewed classrooms to medical coverage and roads connecting communities.

The vice president stated, “These are chapters in the story of a state as its people encounter it: the lesson a child can attend, the treatment a household can seek, and the market a farmer can reach.

“Such investments must be sustained so that those who inherit them can build upon them. A legacy takes its fullest measure in the generations it continues to serve.”

Dignitaries who graced the occasion included the governors of Imo, Kebbi, Plateau, Ekiti, Ogun, Niger, Bayelsa, and Kaduna states.

Others were First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, represented by wife of the vice president, Hajiya Nana Shettima; Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Emir of Zazzau, HRH Nuhu Bamali; and Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Ghandi Afolábí Alaoye, Orumogege III, among others.

Chairman of Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NNGF) and Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Muhammadu Yahaya, congratulated AbdulRazaq, on his turbaning as Sardauna of Ilorin.

Yahaya, on behalf of his colleagues in NNGF, described the conferment of the title on AbdulRazaq as a well-deserved honour and a fitting recognition of his contributions to public service, leadership and the development of Kwara State and northern Nigeria.

The message was contained in a press release issued by  Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Ismaila Uba Misilli.

The governor said the title of Sardauna carried profound historical significance in northern Nigeria, traditionally associated with leadership, service, courage, responsibility, and devotion to the welfare of the people.

Yahaya said the choice of AbdulRazaq for the revered title by the Emir of Ilorin was particularly fitting, reflecting his record of service, leadership qualities, and commitment to the progress of his people.

The NNGF chairman commended Emir Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari for his thoughtful and discerning choice, stating that the traditional institution honoured a public servant whose conduct in office has continued to demonstrate humility, integrity, and a strong sense of responsibility.