Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that the growing political support across Northern Nigeria for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid is not a blank check, emphasizing that the administration must continuously earn the trust of citizens through verifiable facts, radical transparency, and measurable results. ​
Speaking on Saturday, October 17, 2026, during the official commissioning and unveiling of the Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) Campaign Head Office in Abuja, the Vice President urged APC campaigners and northern political leaders to actively defend the administration’s socio-economic reforms with concrete evidence rather than empty political rhetoric. ​The event, which officially launched the campaign structure for the 2027 presidential race, brought together prominent northern political figures, government officials, and party leaders. ​
Addressing stakeholders at the newly inaugurated facility, Vice President Shettima noted that while the region continues to show immense confidence in the Tinubu-led government, governance must remain grounded in public accountability. ​”The endorsement of the North is not a blank check. We must justify this support by proving our performance with empirical facts, radical transparency, and tangible results that impact the daily lives of our people.
Our scorecard under the Renewed Hope Agenda must speak for itself.” said Vice President Kashim Shettima. ​Shettima highlighted ongoing federal interventions across Northern Nigeria, including critical infrastructure projects, agricultural revolution initiatives, and targeted poverty alleviation schemes. He referenced interventions such as the Bank of Agriculture’s N450 billion disbursement benefiting over 700,000 smallholder farmers nationwide, with roughly 70 percent of beneficiaries located in northern states, as clear proof of the administration’s commitment to the region.
​The inauguration was announced in an official statement issued on Saturday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President). ​Nkwocha confirmed that the unveiling provided a strategic platform to engage stakeholders on the economic trajectory, security improvements, and developmental milestones achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda. ​
The Director-General of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) and former Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, delivered the welcome address. Badaru stated that the organization was formed out of a deep conviction among northern leaders that the Tinubu-Shettima administration has performed creditably and deserves a second term to complete ongoing structural reforms.
​Also present and speaking at the event; Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Chairman of the A4A Board of Trustees and former Governor of Kano State, who outlined the movement’s plan to mobilize grassroots structures, religious leaders, and regional organizations across all 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who expressed confidence that the North would overwhelmingly deliver over 70% of its votes to President Tinubu in 2027 based on performance metrics.
​Other notable leaders in attendance included former governors Ibrahim Shehu Shema (Katsina), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Rev. Jolly Nyame (Taraba), and Chief Joshua Dariye (Plateau), alongside serving National Assembly members and senior cabinet officials. ​The unveiling of the A4A headquarters on October 17 comes on the heels of earlier consultations held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, October 12, 2026, where Vice President Shettima reassured northern elders that the region has “nothing to fear” regarding President Tinubu’s second-term ambition. ​
With the campaign headquarters now fully operational, A4A state coordinators and directorates across Northern Nigeria are expected to deploy statistical data and factual evidence to counter opposition narratives and highlight the administration’s economic and security achievements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
