Some indigenous groups of young people in Borno State have mobilised thousands to canvass grassroots support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 presidential election.
Addressing the gathering in Maiduguri, the guest speaker, Prof. Shehu Liberty of the University of Maiduguri, said that the gathering reflected the feelings of most people in Borno and most parts of Northern Nigeria.
“We can also add that people in different parts of the country are also connected in their hearts with the reason that we have all gathered here today. When the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) submitted the nomination form of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, as the running mate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last week, they actually reflected the yearnings of the majority of members of the party.
“They also reflected the political acumen of President Bola Tinubu. By upholding Vice President Kashim Shettima on the joint ticket, which had won the 2023 elections, the APC showed that it was determined, not just to win the 2027 elections, but more fundamentally, it was committed to deepening the development process in Nigeria, which has been at the heart of the “Renewed Hope” agenda in the past three years,” Liberty said.
The don stated that Tinubu’s decision to retain Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 general elections was a decision grounded in wisdom, experience, and foresight.
“We are therefore delighted that Vice President Kashim Shettima will be returning to the heart of governance with President Bola Tinubu, after winning the 2027 elections.
“Why is that important? Well, Vice President Kashim Shettima has positioned himself with so much commitment and passion, not only as a Vice-President, but also as the chief salesman of the programmes and processes of the Tinubu Administration.
“Indeed, Vice President Kashim Shettima is our own, and we are very pleased that he has been renominated to run with President Bola Tinubu. It is a show of confidence; it is a mark of gratitude; and it is a story of one good turn deserving another one.
“Vice President Kashim Shettima has shown, from the moment that he was sworn in in 2023, that he is loyally committed to the very best of the Tinubu Administration. So, as we gather to celebrate this renomination, let us remember that there’s still a lot ahead of us.
“Let us use this opportunity of our happiness about the renomination to remind the powers that be, that our people here in Borno, in the Northeast, and in the whole of Northern Nigeria, are holding on with great anticipation to “Renewed Hope”; a “renewed hope” of renewed commitment to find solutions to the problems of insecurity, underdevelopment, and poverty, in our region.
“We are hoping that the renomination will trigger commitment to solving issues of the out of school children; it will translate to economic empowerment for the teeming army of unemployed youth; it will be a renomination of finding ways to deepen the place of women in the economy, and finally, it will be a renomination of commitment to bringing warring communities together in the search for long lasting solutions,” he added.
In his keynote address, Umar Abatcha, the convener of the Tinubu/Shettima Continuity Forum, said that they gathered to express their gratitude to Tinubu for placing his confidence in Shettima and re-nominating him as his running mate in the forthcoming election.
“To the youths of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and across Nigeria: thank you for your patriotism. You are the backbone of this movement, and the custodians of our nation’s future,” he added. (NAN)
