Vice President Kashim Shettima on Saturday urged allies of President Bola Tinubu to boldly defend the administration’s economic program with measurable results.
The Vice President spoke at the unveiling of the Arewa for Asiwaju campaign headquarters in Abuja.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications Stanley Nkwocha said the North’s growing backing for President Tinubu carried “an obligation” on the government to account for its policies and demonstrate improvements in security, livelihoods and economic opportunity.
“By now, I believe the North has spoken. Such confidence places an obligation upon us that no officeholder should ever underestimate,” Shettima noted.
Vice President Shettima said campaigners could not dismiss the hardship caused by the administration’s reforms, including higher living costs, and should instead explain the decisions taken, the gains achieved and the difficulties that persist.
“Our citizens have endured difficult adjustments. We cannot pretend otherwise,” he said.
“We lose our hearing when applause becomes our only source of information.”
The Vice Presisent said a failed policy ultimately reaches households as “a missed meal, an unpaid school fee or an opportunity lost,” and called on the new campaign structure to channel community complaints to officials capable of acting on them.
NewsQuest reports that the Tinubu administration has pursued a package of reforms since 2023, including the removal of petrol subsidies, unification of the foreign-exchange market and stronger fiscal discipline.
The measures have improved government revenue but contributed to increase in cost-of-living condition for many citizens.
Recent data cited by the government point to early macroeconomic gains: the World Bank reported that Nigeria’s economy grew 4.2% in the first half of 2026, up from 3.9% a year earlier, while federation revenues rose 69% in real terms between 2023 and 2025.
Vice President Shettima said the administration’s priorities remained security, poverty reduction, education, economic opportunity and stronger public institutions.
“The farmer should be able to cultivate in safety. A child’s education should prepare that child for a productive life,” he said.
The event formally inaugurated Arewa for Asiwaju, a Northern political group organized to mobilize support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin at the event said the region needed a credible platform to communicate the administration’s record.
All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda moved a motion calling on the North to back the president’s re-election, citing infrastructure projects and appointments of Northern leaders.
He predicted that President Tinubu could win more than 70% of Northern votes.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume urged the region to base its 2027 choice on “wisdom” and evidence rather than sentiment, while Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf said Northern governors would support the ticket based on its performance.
Vice President Shettima said elections impose a deadline on political persuasion, but not on the government’s duty to deliver.
“Public service imposes no deadline upon our duty,” he said.
