Shettima to Fintiri: You’re no stranger in APC’s mission to build Nigeria

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and his teeming supporters that they were not joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) as strangers but as partners on a shared mission to build a Nigeria that works.

He said the governor’s entry into the governing party’s fold is a reminder that democracy can also be sustained “by the responsibility of political leaders to make choices that strengthen the system they serve,” and not only by the people’s hallowed mandate.

This is as governor Fintri, who hails from the same state as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said that the South should complete eight years before the presidential slot returns to the North.

Senator Shettima spoke on Monday in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, when he formally received Governor Fintri and his supporters into the APC on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Addressing the mammoth crowd that gathered at the Mahmud Ribadu Square, venue of the grand reception, the Vice President told the new party entrants that their arrival was an alignment with a vision that places Nigerians at the centre of governance as well as a party that understands that power is not an end, but a responsibility.

“On behalf of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I extend a warm and sincere welcome to you, Governor Fintiri, and to all your supporters who have made this journey today.

“You are not strangers to this house. You are partners in a shared mission—to build a nation that works, a democracy that delivers, and a future that rewards the aspirations of our people,” he stated.

VP Shettima described democracy as the marketplace of choices, “where preferences are tested, where convictions are weighed, and where the will of the people finds expression,” noting that under President Tinubu, the APC has shown progressive leadership.

“I am therefore excited to join you in yet another endorsement of the progressive politics the All Progressives Congress has demonstrated under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said, adding that they were in Yola because the party “has become a platform worthy of the trust of Nigerians.”

Senator Shettima observed that the mass exodus from other political parties to the APC fold is an indication “that when given alternatives, the people will always gravitate towards structure, towards vision, towards order, and towards a party that understands the burden of governance.

Acknowledging that the governing party needs the wisdom and fresh ideas of those who have walked the long road of public service to keep it alive to current demands and future uncertainties, the VP said, armed with a well-established experience in governance, Governor Fintiri’s entry into the APC was an infusion of new thinking into the party ranks.

“Political parties, like nations, must breathe. They must adapt. They must draw strength from diversity of thought if they are to endure. This convergence, therefore, is not an end in itself; it is a renewal of purpose, a renewal of hope,” he added.

The Vice President lauded Governor Fintri’s stewardship in Adamawa State, saying the roads, public works, and other quiet signs of development that greet every visitor on arrival in Yola not only testify to governor’s diligence and commitment but are also evidence of purposeful governance he has demonstrated.

“They speak of a leadership that understands that governance is measured in results. For this, Your Excellency, we salute your work ethic, and we look forward to forging a partnership that advances not just Adamawa State, but the entire nation,” he told the governor.

VP Shettima, however, reminded party faithful that the task before them, which is to build a political movement that remains the foremost choice of Nigerians both by design and by performance, is greater than any individual.

Earlier, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nantawe Yilwatda, praised Governor Fintiri for infrastructure development in Adamawa State, noting that he has not seen the kind of development elsewhere, especially the road networks in the state.

“Your Excellency, I am proud of you. You are too good to be in the opposition. You are good to belong to the progressives, Your Excellency, you are welcome to where you rightly belong,” he stated.

Prof. Nantawe applauded the governor’s strides in education, health and other critical sectors of the economy in the state.

On his part, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, who represented the Senate President, hailed Governor Fintriri for making a bold decision by joining the progressives, noting that the governor has done well in the state.

Having joined the APC, Barau said Fintri now has the opportunity to interact with fellow governors, adding that “the movement has enabled Adamawa State to join the mainstream party in the country.

Also, Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, recalled that APC is the only party that assumed office with a vision of a Renewed Hope Agenda, pioneered and authored by President Tinubu to transform Nigeria.

Describing the APC as a brand, Uzodimma declared that it is either APC or nothing, just as he congratulated Nigerians for acknowledging the achievements of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The PGF Chairman noted that the coming of Adamawa State governor to APC will usher greater progress and development to the state, even as he commended Governor Fintri for the quality of infrastructure development in the state.

In his remarks, Governor Fintriri said he joined the APC to realign with the good policies and programmes of President Tinubu that were already working, placing Nigeria in the comity of gteat nations.

“Mr. President has done so much and has put the country on a recovery path, especially the microeconomic policies of the administration. So, we have come with good a number to support him and support the APC to win the 2027 elections,” he declared.

The governor assured that with him in the state, the road to 2027 will not be bumpy for the APC and President Tinubu, even as he promised a landslide victory for the party.

Governor Fintiri maintained his stance that “the South must complete their eight years,” urging every Nigerian to support Mr. President to complete his eight-year tenure.

The highlight of the event was the handover of the APC flag to Governor Fintriri as the leader of the party in Adamawa State.

Meanwhile, shortly after receiving the governor into the APC fold, Vice President Shettima paid a courtesy visit to the Lamido of Adamawa and Chairman, Adamawa State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa.

The Vice President reaffirmed the commitment of the Tinubu administration to preserving and protecting the traditional institutions in the country.

“Your Royal Highnesses, I’m bringing you glad tidings from His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. You are the custodians of our rich cultural heritage; you are the permanent pictures in our lives. We adore you, we respect you, we appreciate you because you are the last line of contact with the grassroots.

“All of us here are your sons and daughters. Incidentally, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the Asiwaju of Lagos. He is also the Jagaban of Borgu Emirate in Niger State. So, he is part of the traditional establishment and he respects, cherishes and adores you,” the Vice President said.

Responding, the Lamido of Adamawa commended President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for their leadership and commitment to national development.