Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday rallied creative industry professionals from Northern Nigeria behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term, saying the President deserves the region’s support in the interest of fairness and national unity.
Shettima spoke in Abuja when he received a delegation of Northern Performing Artists under the aegis of Triple-R For Renewed Hope at the All Progressives Congress campaign office, according to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha.
The Vice President told the delegation that the North stood to benefit significantly from the administration’s initiatives in the creative economy, assuring artists, filmmakers and musicians in the region of continued Federal Government support.
He said the President deserved the collective support of the North, arguing that the administration was pursuing policies aimed at empowering local talent, preserving culture and expanding economic opportunities through the creative arts.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima urged Northern stakeholders to reciprocate what he described as the administration’s commitment to the region by supporting Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 general elections.
He also appealed to the artists to remain steadfast with the administration, saying the impact of ongoing economic and social reforms would become increasingly evident across sectors in the months and years ahead.
The Vice President assured the delegation that the Federal Government would continue to introduce targeted interventions for artists, filmmakers and musicians, particularly those operating in Northern Nigeria.
Also speaking, Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, said the campaign for Tinubu’s re-election would be anchored on what he described as the administration’s record and achievements.
The Presidency had earlier confirmed Yari’s role as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 elections.
Yari urged support groups and party members to focus on the administration’s performance in making the case for another term.
He also asked creative industry professionals to disregard opposition claims that the North had been marginalised in appointments and projects, contending that the region had been fairly treated by the Tinubu administration.
Former Katsina State Governor and Deputy Director-General, Parliamentary Mobilisation, of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Aminu Bello Masari, thanked the creative professionals for pledging support for Tinubu and other APC candidates.
Masari said policies of the administration were positively affecting the creative sector and urged practitioners to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve their businesses and livelihoods.
Former Kano State Governor and APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, also thanked the group for its support, urging its members to campaign on the themes of justice, fairness and inclusion.
Ganduje described Triple-R For Renewed Hope as one of the APC’s organic support groups and called for greater investment in infrastructure and training to strengthen the entertainment industry in Northern Nigeria.
President of Triple-R For Renewed Hope, Alhaji Dauda Kahutu Rarara, pledged the group’s support for Tinubu’s re-election and for APC candidates across the North.
Rarara said Northern creative professionals were building a united platform for the 2027 elections, maintaining that their support was based on what they considered the performance of the administration.
National chairman of the group, Alhaji Lawan Ahmad, and its Secretary, Alhaji Ahmad Bifa, also pledged to work for the success of Tinubu and APC candidates.
They, however, appealed for greater Federal Government intervention in reorganising the creative industry in Northern Nigeria, particularly through improved infrastructure and measures to enhance the welfare of practitioners.