Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned 2027 aspirants vying for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket not to destroy the party if they lose in the primaries.
In a piece by the Vice President entitled “2027: Don’t pull down the roof,” Shettima stated that aspirants must refuse the temptation to be manipulated by the media.
He cautioned that while they might have different aspirations, different loyalists, different zones of influence, different calculations, and different preferred outcomes, they still remain members of one political party.
Shettima said, “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?”
He 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 said.
The Vice President 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”.
Speaking on endorsement, which has been causing ripples in the party, 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 called on party leaders to “act with fairness”, adding that aspirants must be treated with dignity