Shettima urges Kwara politicians to embrace forgiveness ahead of 2027
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
The Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday urged political leaders in Kwara State and beyond to forgive one another, embrace unity and play politics without bitterness ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Shettima made the appeal in Ilorin during the official turbaning of Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as the Sardauna of Ilorin by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
The vice president admonished public office holders to serve with conscience, humility and the fear of God, while encouraging them to muster the courage to forgive one another for the sake of posterity.
He said, “As public office holders, we spend more of our lives outside public offices than we do in public offices. Let us embrace each other and have the courage to serve with humility. We are in power not because of our pedigree, intellect, ability or physical build, but by destiny. What brings us together supersedes what separates us.”
Shettima’s appeal came amid reported disagreements within the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the party’s governorship primary election, with some aggrieved aspirants forming a group known as the G-15.
Stressing that power was transient and that Allah gave it to whoever He wished, Shettima recalled that only six of the 19 northern governors, including AbdulRazaq, supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential ambition in 2023.
He said that despite the challenges surrounding Tinubu’s ambition, the president overcame the obstacles and emerged victorious without hurting anyone, urging politicians to demonstrate similar courage and emulate what he described as the president’s forgiving nature.
The turbaning ceremony attracted dignitaries, including governors Umar Bago of Niger, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Hope Uzodinma of Imo, Umar Radda of Katsina and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, while other states were represented by their deputy governors.
