Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned aspirants vying for the tickets of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 elections not to destroy the party if defeated by other aspirants in the primaries.
Shettima in a piece entitled, ” 2027: Don’t pull down the roof”, cautioned that there might be different aspirations, different loyalists, different zones of influence, different calculations, and different preferred outcomes, “We are members of one political household.
“We must therefore refuse the temptation to be manipulated by the media, by mischief-makers, by vested interests, or by those who profit from division. There will always be those who whisper that one leader has been slighted, that one bloc has been excluded, or that one interest has been buried.
“These are familiar tricks in the theatre of politics. They are meant to provoke suspicion, inflame supporters, and turn comrades into adversaries before the real contest even begins.
“But leadership demands that we rise above provocation. Leadership demands that we ask: who benefits when brothers fight? Who gains when a party weakens itself before facing the opposition? Who profits when those who should be building bridges begin to dig trenches?”
The Vice President explained that the first hard lesson of politics is that for every ticket, only one candidate will emerge.
“Many will consult. Many will spend. Many will hope. Many will be encouraged by supporters, friends, and elders. But at the end of the process, only one name will be submitted. That outcome, however painful to others, is not always an injustice. It is often the unavoidable arithmetic of democracy,” he stated.
Shettima also argued that the true test of a politician “is not how loudly he campaigns when the wind is behind him. The true test is how he behaves when the wind turns against him. Anyone can celebrate victory. It takes character to manage disappointment”.
On the issue of endorsement that has been causing ripples in the APC, the Vice President said, “We must also be honest with ourselves. Endorsements are not strange to politics. Preferences are not crimes. Leaders, elders, and stakeholders will naturally have opinions about those they believe can consolidate achievements, protect party interests, and advance the public good.
“But preference must never become provocation. Influence must never become intimidation. Persuasion must never become exclusion. The credibility of our process is the foundation of our legitimacy.”
He urged party leaders to “act with fairness”, adding that aspirants must be treated with dignity.
“Delegates must be allowed to act without fear. Processes must be transparent enough to command respect, even from those who lose. Where there are grievances, they must be addressed with patience and justice. Where there are rumours, they must be answered with clarity. Where there are wounds, they must be healed before they become infections.”
While appealing to those that might lose the primaries, he said “politics is a long road. Those who understand this do not burn their vehicles because of one rough turn. They do not abandon the journey because one gate did not open. Our history is filled with men and women who lost today and won tomorrow, who were overlooked in one season and became indispensable in another, who endured the pain of temporary defeat and later found the door of destiny opened wider than they imagined.u
“That is the beauty of patience. That is the wisdom of loyalty. That is the reward of staying useful.”
The Vice President also warned, “Our great party must not become a victim of its own strength. We are a large family, and large families must learn the art of accommodation. We are a party of many tendencies, many histories, many interests, and many sacrifices. That diversity is not a curse. It is our capital. But it must be managed with humility, fairness, and discipline.
“At this moment, what our party needs is not noise but steadiness. Not suspicion but conversation. Not bitterness but maturity. Not factional triumphalism but collective responsibility. Every leader must lower the temperature. Every aspirant must discipline his camp. Every supporter must remember that today’s opponent in a primary may be tomorrow’s ally in a general election.”
Shettima said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has shown, through a long political journey, that democracy thrives on accommodation, persuasion, resilience, and coalition-building, adding the strength of a party is not in the absence of disagreements, but in its capacity to resolve them without losing its soul.
“So, I appeal to our leaders: let us be fair. I appeal to our aspirants: let us be patient. I appeal to our supporters: let us be disciplined. I appeal to our party faithful: let us be united. The roof over this house shelters all of us. If we pull it down in anger, nobody will be spared by the storm,” he stated.
