Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the formal entry of Plateau State into the All Progressives Congress (APC) was an affirmation that the governing party was truly a national platform that open to all Nigerians committed to unity, peace and inclusive development.

He described the party as the destination of all citizens who believe in a united future, just as he maintained that the APC remains committed to national unity and inclusive governance.

According to his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima while speaking yesterday during the grand reception of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and his supporters into the APC, said the political realignment was a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s shared destiny.

He said: “Plateau is a reminder that what powers us, what powers every nation, is unity, a unity rooted not in sameness but in shared purpose. It is on that basis that we gather here today.”

Shettima recalled Plateau’s historic contributions to Nigeria’s survival and cohesion, paying tribute to former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, and other military and diplomatic figures from the state who played defining roles in preserving national unity during difficult periods in the country’s history.

He added: “In him (Gowon), Plateau gave Nigeria a leader whose strength lay in reconciliation, and whose legacy reminds us that nations survive not by conquest but by healing.”

The Vice President conveyed assurances from President Bola Tinubu that Mutfwang would enjoy full standing and recognition within the APC, describing good governance as an asset to any political movement committed to national progress.

While stating that Plateau’s presence in the APC demonstrated the party’s readiness to accommodate diversity and build consensus across political, ethnic and religious divides, he stressed that the state’s contributions to national life extended beyond politics into commerce, scholarship, arts and peacebuilding.