Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally scheduled for Monday.

Shettima’s arrival was disclosed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha.

The Vice President departed Abuja earlier on Monday for the rally, where he is expected to engage APC leaders, stakeholders and supporters on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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He is also expected to highlight the administration’s economic reforms, infrastructure development initiatives and commitment to expanding opportunities for Nigerians.

Cross River State occupies a strategic position in the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure development agenda, particularly through the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The highway is designed to improve regional connectivity, stimulate trade, boost tourism and unlock economic opportunities across Nigeria’s coastal states.

The state also has significant potential in tourism, agriculture, maritime commerce and regional trade, making it an important part of the administration’s economic development plans.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decades-long political alliances with northern leaders have come under focus following the October 24 APC presidential campaign rally in Kaduna, with his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, highlighting the relationships as a key part of the president’s political history.

Dare made the observation in a commentary published on his X account on Sunday, November 1, 2026, while reflecting on the political significance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally held in Kaduna on October 24.

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In the article titled “Kaduna: A Redoubtable President Tinubu and the Northwest Political Narrative,” Dare argued that Tinubu’s political strength rests on decades of relationship-building, political organisation, support for candidates and alliances across competing constituencies.

He said the Kaduna rally had ended, but its political significance extended beyond the dismantling of the campaign stage, describing the city as an important setting for renewing political relationships and presenting Tinubu’s case to voters in the Northwest.

According to Dare, Tinubu’s political influence goes beyond the authority of the presidency, noting that before entering Aso Rock, he had spent decades cultivating relationships, organising political structures, supporting candidates and building alliances across different constituencies.

“His durability reflects that patient investment in people and organization, as well as his willingness to remain engaged through difficult contests,” Dare wrote.

He described Kaduna as a particularly significant location for the campaign because of its historical position as the former capital of the Northern Region.

Dare noted that Kaduna’s institutions helped shape the personnel, priorities and political traditions of a region whose participation remains important in the formation of national governments.

He argued that campaigning in Kaduna meant entering a political conversation that spans generations, involving public administration, regional aspirations, political organisation and Nigeria’s continuing efforts to govern its diversity.

The presidential aide also invoked the historical legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and Dr Yusufu Bala Usman in discussing the political significance of Kaduna.

He said Bello and Kashim Ibrahim represented traditions of regional government, institution-building and public service, while Balarabe Musa’s legacy evoked populist reform, accountability and concern for ordinary citizens.

Dare described Bala Usman as representing an uncompromising demand that political power be critically examined and judged by its consequences for the people.

According to him, their historical contributions should provide a standard for assessing contemporary leadership, particularly in areas such as functioning schools, effective administration, productive communities and broader opportunities.

“Their memory gives a contemporary rally its proper standard. It asks what leadership builds, whom it prepares for opportunity, how it accepts accountability, and what it leaves behind,” he stated.

Dare further explained that Kaduna’s historical importance also accounts for its relevance to presidential electioneering, noting that electoral victories require relationships across regions, religions, communities and competing interests.

He said the city connects regional political history with national ambitions, providing an opportunity for candidates to address both immediate electoral demands and broader questions about national unity and governance.

The presidential aide also highlighted remarks by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Kaduna rally, where he recalled Tinubu’s support for northern presidential candidates across successive election cycles.

According to Dare, Shettima cited Tinubu’s support for Atiku Abubakar in 2007, Nuhu Ribadu in 2011, and Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.

Dare said the recollection formed part of the campaign’s central argument that Tinubu’s relationships with northern political figures reflected years of familiarity, partnership and reciprocity.

Dare also praised Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, for his address at the campaign rally, particularly his presentation of the Tinubu administration’s achievements.

He said the governor delivered a powerful account of the administration’s record in less than four years, adding that his presentation, which included anecdotes, attracted applause from the audience.

Dare further noted that Uba Sani drew on his experience as an advocate during his days of political struggle to declare that the North had decided to support Tinubu.

“The opponents will not even try to outmatch Uba Sani,” he wrote.

Yari Rallies Northern Support for Tinubu

The presidential aide also commended the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, for his presentation at the Kaduna rally.

Dare described Yari as having become an encyclopedia of the Tinubu administration’s achievements, saying he was unstoppable in presenting the government’s record and rallying northern support for the president.

He added that Yari’s decision to switch to the Hausa language generated an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

“By the time he switched to Hausa language the crowd roared in unison,” Dare stated.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the reported simultaneous attacks on African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, describing the incidents as “deeply troubling and unacceptable.”

Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of using intimidation and violence against opposition leaders and their supporters, alleging that the incidents exposed the government’s determination to suppress political opposition.

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In a statement, the former Vice-President expressed concern that the attacks reportedly occurred while President Bola Tinubu was away on a spiritual pilgrimage.

He alleged that “political enforcers and thugs loyal to his party are unleashing terror on his political opponents at home.”

“These two realities cannot coexist in a democracy,” Atiku declared, referring to the President’s absence and the reported attacks on opposition figures.

He further warned that the continued attacks on opposition members and the alleged disappearance of critical social media influencers were signs of a dangerous political development.

“The continued attacks on opposition figures and the unexplained disappearance of critical social media influencers are clear red flags of a dangerous slide toward a censored state where the opposition is crushed by the brute force of the current government,” he said.

Atiku described the incidents as unbecoming of a democratic government, adding that they “starkly reveal the desperation of the Tinubu administration.”

He called for immediate and transparent investigations into both attacks, insisting that the government must refrain from any attempt to silence opposition voices.

The former Vice-President also demanded that the Tinubu administration guarantee a free, fair and competitive electoral process ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

Raising additional concerns about the situation in Sokoto State, Atiku alleged that a local security outfit had been harassing ADC supporters and physically assaulting citizens simply for wearing the party’s merchandise.

He said the reported harassment further highlighted the challenges facing opposition parties and their supporters.

“We shall resist every ongoing attempt to cancel political opposition in Nigeria,” Atiku declared.

He also accused the ruling APC of failing in its mandate, insisting that Nigerians must be allowed to freely participate in an electoral contest that would determine the country’s political future.

“Nigerians must be allowed to freely participate in an electoral contest that will determine the fate of this administration,” he added.