Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday formally submitted President Bola Tinubu’s nomination and expression of interest forms to the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), officially signalling the president’s bid to secure the party’s ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
The submission ceremony, attended by governors, National Assembly members, and senior party officials, marked the formal commencement of Tinubu’s re-election campaign within the ruling party.
Speaking after presenting the forms, Shettima urged party members and Nigerians to rally behind the president, saying Tinubu has demonstrated the leadership capacity needed to stabilise the country and drive economic recovery.
“We are here, first, as Nigerians, and secondly as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to submit this very priceless nomination form of our dear President and leader, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as he seeks to lead us for another four-year term,” Shettima said.
The vice president said the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda had begun yielding positive socio-economic results despite the challenges confronting the country.
“Through thick and thin, this President has proved his mettle and has shown the world that his capacity and resolve to pull the nation out of the woods remain unfazed,” he stated.
According to Shettima, some of the policy decisions taken by the administration may have appeared difficult but were necessary to stabilise the economy and reposition Nigeria for long-term growth.
“President Bola Tinubu has delivered on the mandate of renewal, stability, and national rebirth. The storms of the past years have not diminished him; they have made a fine sailor out of him,” he said.
“He has steered this ship through turbulent waters with courage, taking difficult but necessary decisions to stabilise the economy, restore confidence, and prepare Nigeria for a more sustainable future.”
The vice president also called on party supporters to mobilise behind the president’s re-election effort.
“Banners will be lifted, some will defend the process, and some will mobilise the people. However, it beckons on us all to, as a matter of sacrifice and contribution, protect the hope of Nigeria,” he added.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, also praised Tinubu’s leadership, describing his reforms as courageous and necessary.
Abbas said the president’s policies had placed the country on the path of recovery and justified his bid for a second term.
The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the party’s endorsement of Tinubu was based on what he described as strong performance across key sectors of the economy.
According to him, improved economic indicators and ongoing reforms under the administration justified the president’s re-election bid.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, also assured the president of the support of APC governors ahead of the 2027 election.
Uzodinma said Tinubu’s leadership had strengthened the party’s political dominance across the country since 2023.
Governors present at the event included those of Plateau, Ogun, Niger, Kaduna, Ondo, Katsina, Borno, Cross River, Taraba, Yobe, Nasarawa, and Bayelsa states.
Members of the National Assembly elected on the APC platform and members of the party’s National Working Committee also attended the ceremony.
Deji Elumoye
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