Kaduna, Nigeria – Vice President Kashim Shettima has praised Governor Uba Sani for what he described as deliberate and strategic efforts to expand the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, asserting that the governor’s leadership is steadily transforming the state into a “one-party state.”
Shettima made the remarks over the weekend during the commissioning of the Tudun Biri Resettlement Scheme, commending the governor for his inclusive approach and political strategy that has seen a surge of defections from opposition parties to the APC.
“Governor Uba Sani, we are most grateful. You are gradually turning Kaduna into a one-party state, with House of Representatives members representing Soba, Makarfi and Kudan on their way to the APC,” the Vice President said.
Recalling the outcome of the 2023 general elections, Shettima noted that the APC had previously faced setbacks in the state, winning only four out of 16 National Assembly seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 10 and the Labour Party took two.
According to him, the tide has now turned due to the “conscious and deliberate efforts” of Governor Sani and party leaders, resulting in the defection of prominent opposition figures, including former Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and Senator Sunday Marshall.
Shettima highlighted developments in Southern Kaduna as historic, pointing out that the zone, which had consistently elected PDP senators since 1999, now has an APC senator for the first time. He also announced the defection of a serving House of Representatives member from Igabi Federal Constituency, one of Nigeria’s largest constituencies.
“This is leadership. Without your inclusive approach, I don’t think Sunday Marshall and other leaders in Southern Kaduna would have joined the APC,” Shettima said.
The Vice President also commended the Kaduna State Government for collaborating with the Federal Government on the Tudun Biri Resettlement Scheme, describing it as a model of responsive and people-centred governance.
In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving Tudun Biri as the first beneficiary of the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflicts, following the accidental bombing of the community in December 2023. He emphasized that sustainable peace could only be achieved through development, inclusion, economic opportunity, and security interventions.
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