Vice President Kashim Shettima has advised aspirants seeking tickets on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections not to destroy the party if they lose out during the primaries.
In a piece titled “2027: Don’t Pull Down the Roof,” the Vice President cautioned party members and aspirants against allowing political ambitions and internal disagreements to weaken the APC ahead of the elections.
Shettima acknowledged that there would naturally be different aspirations, loyalists, zones of influence, political calculations and preferred outcomes within the party, but stressed that all members belonged to one political family.
“We are members of one political household,” he stated.
He warned party stakeholders against being manipulated by the media, mischief-makers or vested interests seeking to sow division within the APC.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
According to him, leadership requires political actors to rise above provocations and focus on preserving party unity.
“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?” he queried.
The Vice President said one of the most important realities of politics is that only one person eventually emerges as a party candidate.
“The first hard lesson of politics is that for every ticket, only one candidate will emerge,” he stated.
“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.”
He noted that while some aspirants may feel disappointed after the primaries, such outcomes do not automatically amount to injustice.
“That outcome, however painful to others, is not always an injustice. It is often the unavoidable arithmetic of democracy,” he added.
Shettima further argued that the true character of politicians is revealed in how they handle disappointment and defeat.
“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,” he said.
Speaking on endorsements, which have continued to generate debate within the APC, the Vice President noted that political endorsements and preferences are not unusual in democratic politics.
“We must also be honest with ourselves. Endorsements are not strange to politics. Preferences are not crimes,” he said.
“Leaders, elders, and stakeholders will naturally have opinions about those they believe can consolidate achievements, protect party interests, and advance the public good.”
However, he warned that endorsements must not be weaponised to intimidate or exclude other aspirants.
“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 stated.
The Vice President also called on party leaders to conduct the primaries fairly and transparently, while ensuring that aspirants and delegates are treated with dignity and respect.
“Delegates must be allowed to act without fear. Processes must be transparent enough to command respect, even from those who lose,” he said.
“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.”
Appealing to aspirants who may eventually lose during the primaries, Shettima urged them not to abandon the party or destroy its structure out of anger.
“Politics is a long road. Those who understand this do not burn their vehicles because of one rough turn,” he said.
“They do not abandon the journey because one gate did not open.”
He added that Nigeria’s political history is filled with examples of politicians who lost opportunities at one stage but later rose to greater prominence.
“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,” he stated.
“That is the beauty of patience. That is the wisdom of loyalty. That is the reward of staying useful.”
The Vice President warned that the APC must not become weakened by internal divisions arising from its own political strength and diversity.
“Our great party must not become a victim of its own strength,” he said.
“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.”
He stressed that what the APC currently needs is calmness, maturity and collective responsibility rather than bitterness and factional triumphalism.
“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,” he stated.
“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 also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for demonstrating over the years that democracy thrives on accommodation, persuasion, resilience and coalition-building.
According to him, the true strength of a political party lies not in the absence of disagreements but in its ability to resolve disputes without losing its core values.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown, through a long political journey, that democracy thrives on accommodation, persuasion, resilience, and coalition-building,” he said.
“The strength of a party is not in the absence of disagreements, but in its capacity to resolve them without losing its soul.”
The Vice President concluded with an appeal to party leaders, aspirants, supporters and faithful to remain fair, patient, disciplined and united ahead of the 2027 elections.
“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,” he said.
“The roof over this house shelters all of us. If we pull it down in anger, nobody will be spared by the storm.”
