Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday formally welcomed Governor Dauda Lawal into the All Progressives Congress (APC), calling on party members in Zamfara State to remain united for the overall development of the state. Shettima arrived in Gusau at about 3:30 p.m., where he was received by Governor Lawal and top APC officials.
Addressing party faithful, Shettima praised Lawal for joining the ruling party, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also welcomed his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He assured residents that Zamfara would continue to benefit from federal government initiatives, particularly in addressing insecurity, enhancing education and healthcare, and safeguarding lives and property.
Former Governor of Zamfara and current Minister of Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, described Lawal’s defection as a turning point in the state’s politics. Matawalle announced that he would step down from contesting the 2027 governorship election to support Lawal’s second-term ambition, urging his supporters across all 14 local government areas to back the governor.
Governor Lawal expressed satisfaction with his move to APC, calling it a “return home” and attributing his defection to unresolved issues within the PDP. He pledged an inclusive administration, promising to continue developmental projects, improve security, and promote economic growth throughout Zamfara.
The event highlighted the APC’s efforts to consolidate political support in Zamfara ahead of the 2027 elections. Shettima emphasized the importance of party unity to strengthen governance, while Lawal and Matawalle signaled coordinated efforts to ensure stability, development, and electoral success across the state.
The Kano State government has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for donating N5 billion to support traders affected by the recent fire outbreak at the popular Singer Market in Kano. The announcement was made through Vice President Kashim Shettima during a sympathy visit to the disaster site on Monday. The federal intervention underscores the administration’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerians during times of hardship.
Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, the state Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, described the donation as a “timely and compassionate intervention,” highlighting the president’s dedication to citizens in distress. Governor Kabir Yusuf also expressed gratitude for the swift federal response and the support provided to the affected traders.
In addition to the federal contribution, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressive Governors’ Forum collectively donated N3 billion to assist the victims. The state government commended the governors for their solidarity, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts during emergencies and disasters affecting the community.
The donation ceremony was attended by senators, state governors, and prominent political figures, alongside tens of thousands of APC supporters. Junaidu Muhammad, chairman of the Amalgamated Unions of Kano Singer Markets, hailed the gesture as a clear demonstration of the dividends of democracy in action, reflecting the government’s responsiveness to citizens’ needs.
Traders affected by the fire have urged the management of Kano Singer Market to ensure fair and compassionate distribution of the donations. Authorities have been called upon to prioritize transparency and equity to ensure that all victims receive appropriate assistance in rebuilding their businesses and livelihoods.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) will determine the position of the Vice President when the time for the 2027 elections approaches, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said on Tuesday. He emphasized that decisions about the running mate are handled at the party level.
Morka’s comments came amid speculation that Vice President Kashim Shettima could be dropped as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate for a second term. Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, he described such discussions as “very speculative” at this stage.
According to Morka, an endorsement of President Tinubu for a second term effectively includes support for the current Vice President. “When they endorse the President, that constitutes an endorsement of the serving Vice President as well, whether or not his name is listed,” he said.
He further explained that the focus on the presidency is in line with political trends, noting that past governors, including Tinubu, have had opportunities to change their deputies during their terms. Thus, the current speculation about Shettima does not indicate any departure from established practices.
Morka concluded that decisions regarding the Vice President will be made through party conversations when appropriate. Until then, he advised that all assumptions about changes in the joint ticket remain premature.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after a week-long diplomatic and economic mission to Guinea-Conakry and Switzerland.
According to a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nwokocha, Shettima arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Saturday.
During the trip, the Vice President represented President Bola Tinubu at the inauguration of Guinea’s President, Mamadi Doumbouya, underscoring Nigeria’s commitment to regional cooperation in West Africa.
Shettima later travelled to Switzerland, where he led Nigeria’s delegation to the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
He said the engagements reflected Nigeria’s renewed commitment to regional solidarity and its resolve to reposition the economy under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
One of the highlights of Nigeria’s participation at Davos was the inauguration of Nigeria House, the country’s first-ever sovereign pavilion on the Davos Promenade.
The facility is designed as a permanent investment hub to showcase opportunities in solid minerals, agriculture and the digital economy.
At the forum, Shettima was joined by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to advance the Accra Reset Initiative.
The initiative promotes African industrialisation driven by domestic capital and regional value chains, rather than reliance on foreign aid.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after a week-long diplomatic and economic mission to Guinea-Conakry and Switzerland. He represented President Bola Tinubu at the inauguration of Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya and led Nigeria’s delegation to the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos.
The trip underscores Nigeria’s commitment to regional solidarity and economic repositioning under the Renewed Hope agenda. Shettima highlighted the importance of fostering West African cooperation and promoting Nigeria’s economic interests on the global stage.
A major highlight of the Davos visit was the commissioning of Nigeria House, Nigeria’s first sovereign pavilion on the Davos Promenade, designed as a permanent hub to showcase investment opportunities in solid minerals, agriculture, and the digital economy.
Shettima also participated in the Accra Reset Initiative, alongside former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and Finance Minister Wale Edun. The initiative promotes African industrialization driven by domestic capital and value chains rather than reliance on foreign aid.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima will present Nigeria’s 2026 economic outlook at the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s global economic engagement. He is leading the Nigerian delegation to the high-level forum, according to a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Mr Stanley Nkwocha.
Nkwocha said Shettima has arrived in Davos and was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yussuf Tuggar; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; and officials of the Nigerian mission. The Vice-President is expected to participate in plenary sessions focusing on the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotechnology.
During the week-long meeting, Shettima will also hold bilateral discussions with heads of state, top global executives and international development finance leaders, aimed at deepening partnerships aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The forum will also mark Nigeria’s official debut of Nigeria House Davos, a sovereign pavilion established on the Davos Promenade to serve as a hub for ministerial engagements, investment roundtables and cultural diplomacy. Nkwocha described the initiative as a milestone in Nigeria’s global economic diplomacy, delivered through a public-private partnership.
Speaking on the initiative, Trade and Investment Minister Jumoke Oduwole said Nigeria would use the platform to showcase key investment opportunities, including solid minerals, climate-smart agriculture, creative industries and the digital economy, highlighting four strategic “playbooks” designed to re-engineer the Nigerian economy.
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) General Debate will open in New York on Tuesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled to deliver the first address.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and French President Emmanuel Macron are also listed among the first day’s speakers. Proceedings are set to begin at 9 a.m. (1300 GMT).
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock will deliver opening remarks. Later in the week, the Security Council will convene a special session on the war in Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky expected to attend.
More than 150 heads of state and government are expected to speak during the debate, which will focus heavily on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the UN’s financial challenges and the evolving global role of the United States under Trump’s leadership.
Nigeria’s Vice-President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, has already arrived in New York to represent President Bola Tinubu and lead the country’s delegation at the high-level gathering.
Vice President Kashim Shettima GCON
Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, will today handover minors arrested in connection to the EndBadGovernance protest organised nationwide in August.
Shettima will receive them after they leave court today (Tuesday) and hand each everyone of them back to their state governors from the north at an ‘elaborate’ ceremony,” a source in the Presidency
It has been three months after the children were taken into custody under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, ROYAL NEWS has gathered.
It was exclusively reported that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had completed the necessary paperwork to release all those detained over #EndBadGovernance protests, including minors charged with treason and facing the death penalty.
Kashim Shettima
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Saturday revealed that Vice President Shettima Kashim’s official residence would be ready by May 2024.
He said this during the inspection of three ongoing projects in the FCT.
The projects include the FCT Highway 105 (11km six-lane dual carriageway) linking the Airport Expressway to Kuje and the official residence of the vice president.
Wike had in November 2023 said that the vice president’s official residence would cost N15 billion.
While giving an update on the project, the minister said he was very happy with the speed and quality of work and commended the contractors.
He noted that the contractors have also assured that the Wuye/Wuse flyover, which is 85 per cent complete, and the vice president’s official residence, will be ready by May 2024.
The minister further stated that the FCT Highway 105 would open up the Kuje area and bring a lot of changes to the FCT.
“I have to commend the various contractors, the Arab Contractors and Julius Berger. The first site we went to is almost 85 percent complete, one of those interchanges in Wuye District. The contractors are keeping faith with their commitment to hand over the project by May.
“And then we also went to the Kuje road which is the six-lane road. It’s about 11 kilometers. That road from the airport road down to Kuje will open up that area of the Area Council. The last time when I went to flag off one of the rural roads, we didn’t see much about the contractors and I did say that the contractors are not serious. But going back there today, one is very impressed with the level of work and the quality of work. I’m quite impressed with what I saw”.
Speaking further, wike said the contractors handling the vice president’s official residence were at the stage of electrical installations.
“We were at the VP’s residence which is being handled by Julius Berger, and like I said, they have made further commitment that by May, they are going to hand over. Why we may not be seeing enough of what we think should be improvements is because they are concentrating on electrical cables. In the next two, or three weeks, you will see a lot of changes. They are known for quality and we are really financing them well”.
He reiterated that no ongoing project in the FCT would be abandoned, adding that projects that are considered as priority have been included in the FCT’s 2024 statutory budget for adequate funding.
“We have always said that we are not going to allow any project to be abandoned. We have taken our priorities and most of these projects are also being included in our 2024 statutory budget, which will soon be presented to the National Assembly by Mr. President when he returns from Qatar,” he said.
Wike further addressed the concern of residents over the seeming delay in the road resurfacing exercise, particularly in the Asokoro District. He assured that the project would also be ready by May.
He said, “What we have said is that these things will be completed before or handed over by May. If you look at the AYA road, it’s being handled by Julius Berger and you know their own style of work, they like to scrape and then take it all together when they want to asphalt.
“So, it is not as if it has been abandoned. When they want to asphalt, they take all at the same time. So, there is nothing like abandonment. What is important to us is if they are going to meet up to the date that they have committed themselves.
“Frankly speaking, I’m very happy with the quality and the speed. By May, a lot of Nigerians will see the changes as far as the FCT is concerned”.
The Minister was accompanied on the road inspection tour by the Executive Secretary of FCDA, Engr. Hadi Shehu Ahmed, the Director of Engineering, Engr. Obiora Ezeoha, former Senator representing the FCT, Sen. Phillip Aduda, senior officials of the FCT Administration, among others.
Senator Kashim Shettima, the Vice President, has lampooned those opposing the federal government’s decision to relocate some departments and units of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos, saying the move is for the interest of the generality of Nigerians.
Shettima said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ would not make any policy or decision that would be sectional, or at the detriment of some geographical location of the nation, and described those opposing the relocation process of these departments as mischief makers.
The VP spoke on Saturday as a Special Guest of Honour at the 10th Annual of Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture and Merit Awards which took place in Maiduguri, Borno state.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed on the theme: “Creating Pathways for Peace: Tackling Banditry and Insurgency through Good Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria”, Shettima said, late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto of blessed memory lived a worthy life of emulation for the betterment of the North and the country as a whole, and commended members of the Foundation for not only choosing Borno as venue for the Lecture, but the theme which is apt and timely, in view of the numerous security challenges affecting the state, the North East sub-region, and the country in general.
He said, “the event in line with President Tinubu’s vision, has brought about many critical stakeholders including traditional rulers to collectively brainstorm and chat a new way forward in bringing lasting solutions to end insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, poverty, corruption and all other social vices in the region and the nation in general.
“Recently, there were those opposing the federal government’s decision over planned relocation of some departments and units of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos, I want to reassure the people of the North that the move is for the interest of the generality of Nigerians.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ would not make any policy or decision that would be sectional, or at the detriment of some geographical location of the nation, therefore, those opposing the relocation process of some of the departments should desist, or else they are acting as mischief makers.” Shettima stated.
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