Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, said Vice President Kashim Shettima holds northern governors in high regard.

Nkwocha said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, clarifying recent remarks by Shettima concerning the support President Bola Tinubu received from northern governors.

He said Shettima recognised the individual and collective contributions of northern governors and other APC leaders to the party’s success and Tinubu’s emergence in 2023.

Nkwocha explained that Shettima’s reference to six northern governors who supported Tinubu concerned political consultations and alignments before the APC presidential primary in June 2022.

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

“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,” he said

The presidential aide said that after the presidential primary, APC governors in the North rallied around the party’s candidate.

He added that the northern governors played important roles in the campaign and electoral efforts that culminated in Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 general election.

“Indeed, it is worthy of note that it was after the declaration of President Tinubu as winner of the 2023 presidential primary that all other governors across the country rallied round and followed suit.

“That declaration by the northern governors hence became the aligning moment across all political divides in the quest for power shift,” he said.

Nkwocha said Shettima regretted any interpretation of his remarks that may have suggested otherwise and hoped the clarification would place the comments in proper context.

“VP Shettima also appreciates the Nigerian media for its longstanding professionalism and constructive engagement with his office.

“He urges continued accuracy and context in the reporting of public remarks as the country approaches another political season,” he said. (NAN)

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja, welcomed the endorsement of the President for a second term by the Former Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly of Nigeria (FOPSHAN).

‎The First Lady spoke at the National Summit of the Forum of All Progressives Congress Former Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly of Nigeria (APC-FOPSHAN), held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

During the summit, the forum endorsed President Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 general elections.

‎She said that former Speakers and Deputy Speakers were well placed to appreciate the difficult choices of governance and the courage required to pursue reforms in the national interest.

“Since ‌‍‍‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌the inception of this administration, Mr President has worked tirelessly to reposition our economy and lay a solid foundation for sustainable national development.

“Nation-building is a continuous process, and the gains already recorded must be consolidated for the benefit of present and future generations”, she said.

‎She also commended the National Chairman of the forum, Sen. Wasiu Sanni-Eshilokun, for his vision in establishing the forum, and the Board of Trustees and the entire leadership of the forum.

‎”I especially acknowledge and appreciate your endorsement of President Tinubu, for a second term in office.

‎”Coming from men and women who have themselves presided over legislative institutions, your endorsement carries special significance.

‎”You understand the demands of governance, the difficulty of making critical decisions, and the courage required to pursue reforms in the national interest,” she said.

‎”On behalf of Mr President, I thank you for this expression of confidence, support and goodwill,” she said.

‎Oluremi further said that the decision by the former lawmakers is valid and timely nothing that they understood what governance is.

‎”As former Speakers and Deputy Speakers, you have occupied critical positions in our democratic institutions and have contributed significantly to legislation, governance, and the development of your respective states.

‎”This Summit is a celebration of service, leadership, experience, and sacrifice. Leaving political office should never mean leaving public service. Nigeria still needs your wisdom, experience, and networks.

‎”I therefore urge you to use this forum as a platform for preserving institutional memory, mentoring younger legislators, promoting democratic stability and continuing to contribute to the development of the various communities where you served.”

‎The First Lady also appreciated the forum for honouring her as the National Grandpatron.

‎She described their presence at the forum as a demonstration of commitment to the objectives of the forum and to the continued service of the nation.

‎”I am particularly humbled for the honour extended to me to act as the Grand Patron of this forum.

‎”I pray to the Almighty God to give me the necessary wisdom to be of service to the ideals of the forum.

‎”I salute the leadership of the forum and the entire members for organising this historic Summit. Many of you have travelled from different parts of the country to converge here in Abuja for this important event.

‎”May this Summit strengthen the bonds among you and open a new chapter of meaningful contribution to our nation, promote national unity and strengthen our democracy.” (NAN)

A former South-East spokesman to President Bola Tinubu, Denge Onoh, has attributed the growing face-off between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to what he described as the minister’s long history of using political alliances to weaken established political structures.

Onoh, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday, was reacting to Wike’s recent media chat in which the FCT minister criticised APC governors opposed to his political activities, including his emerging “Rainbow Coalition.

On Wike’s current confrontation with APC governors, he said the minister’s political activities had created concerns within the ruling party because of his continued influence over structures outside the APC.

The South-East politician said Wike’s political platform had previously fielded candidates for legislative and governorship elections under the PDP, arguing that the minister’s political network remained connected to the opposition party despite his membership of the APC-led Federal Executive Council.

He said, ‘The reason is simple. Wike’s PDP fielded 405 National Assembly candidates to contest across the 109 Senate and 360 House of Representatives seats, and 23 governorship candidates across the states holding gubernatorial elections.

“Wike’s historical pattern of being an aggressive political instrument perfectly explains his current, volatile face-off with several APC Governors and the wider APC structure. His political survival has always depended on maintaining a theatre of war.

“Having been absorbed into an APC-led administration while stubbornly trying to hold onto the remnants of the PDP structure in Rivers State, he now finds himself in a friction zone. Higher political forces within the national framework continue to tolerate and utilise Wike to destabilise opposition strongholds and manage geopolitical balances.”

The former spokesman also stated that APC governors were therefore wary of the minister’s activities because they could affect the party’s internal cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections.

Onoh claimed that Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition” was part of a broader effort by the minister to maintain political relevance and negotiate his position beyond the 2027 elections.

He described Wike as “the wrecking ball of the Jonathan Presidency,” alleging that the former minister was deployed in the political battle between Jonathan and Amaechi after the relationship between the Rivers governor and the presidency deteriorated.

“Wike’s political journey, from his roots as a local government chairman to his contemporary standing, reveals a consistent, troubling pattern.

“Rather than a trajectory of independent statesmanship, it is a legacy defined by bitter political controversies and a recurring role as a political wrecking ball used by higher authorities to decimate political opponents,” he argued.

His concerns come barely 24 hours after Wike described the governors as “politically lazy” for opposing his Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The APC governors, led by the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, had declared that they would not participate in, support or endorse any alliance that could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid or affect APC candidates at any level.

But Wike, in an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Tuesday, dismissed the governors’ concerns, arguing that his support for Tinubu did not mean he had abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party or that other parties should be prevented from fielding candidates.