By Tom Okpe, Abuja
All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Senator Ahmed Boka Tinubu has explained why he chose Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate indicating that Shettima is a man who can help bring best governance to all Nigerians.
Tinubu, who announced Shettima as his Vice Presidential candidate after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, in Daura, Kastina State with some prominent party leaders earlier, warning against Muslim-Muslim ticket while some school of thought feels ‘competence should be given priority, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday made available to Daily Times, said the choice is to re-envision and reshape the country;
He said:“I must compose the best team possible, a team put together with one overriding purpose: to forever establish just, capable, and compassionate governance for the people of Nigeria without regard to religion, region, or ethnic origin.
“In full compliance with existing law and regulation, I submited all necessary documents regarding my nomination as the APC presidential candidate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) but as was expected, the choice of my vice presidential running mate remains an open and burning question.
“Weeks since becoming the presidential candidate and standard-bearer of the APC, I have been touched, as Nigerians from all walks of life have demonstrated their faith in my capacity to lead this country.
“Recent events, voluntary withdrawal of my dear friend and brother, Ibrahim Masari indicates that I am called upon, today, to put an end to the speculation. I have never been an indecisive man and have no present intention to become one.”
According to Tinubu, decisions regarding the team around and supporting him have always been guided by the principles of competence, innovation, compassion, integrity, fairness, and adherence to excellence.
“When I was Governor of Lagos State, these principles helped me assemble one of the most capable governing cabinets any state or this nation has ever seen. I trust in these principles to allow them, once more, guide me to construct another exemplary team that can do Nigeria proud.
“Our focus therefore, must be on getting the job done; and that means getting the very best and competent people to do it. In this crucial moment, where so much is at stake, we must prioritize leadership, competence, and the ability to work as a team over other considerations.
“This chapter in our country’s history demands a bold yet pragmatic approach, a path already chartered by the progressive ethos of the APC. The foundation for sustainable progress has been laid these past seven years by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The challenges of today are consequential because lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians lie in the balance. Visionary and creative leadership will take us to our goal,” Tinubu noted.
While reaffirming the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima, Tinubu said the former governor is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region.
“May I say this to all of you, especially to those who will be disappointed in my selection based on religious considerations. I will not, and cannot ignore the religious concerns and ethnic sensitivities of our people.
“Taking them into due consideration is an important part of good and able governance. But religion, ethnicity and region cannot always and fully determine our path.
“To forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, we must break free of old binds. We must recalibrate our political calculations to where competence and fairness matter more than reductive demographics.”
He added that with these reasons; “I announce the selection of Senator Kashim Shettima Ibrahim as my partner and running mate in the mission to advance and reclaim the fortunes of this great country and the hopes of its people.”
Senator Shettima, a former Governor of Borno State and a close associate of Tinubu has been a staunch supporter and campaigner for the choice of Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria.
He toured many states with Tinubu since December 2021 where he addressed party delegates, mobilizing support for the former Governor of Lagos state.
Kashim Ibrahim Shettima was born on the 2 September, 1966 and currently, a Senator and former governor of Borno State.
Senator Shettima, an intelligent and outspoken politician from the Kanuri tribe is generally seen as extremely hospitable to other faith and ethnic groups.
During his time as a Governor, he, amongst his closest aides, an Ibo Christian from Anambra State in the Southeast, an Urhobo Christian from Delta State in the South-South, a Christian from Edo State in the South-South, a Yoruba Christian from the Southwest, a fulani man from Gombe in the northeast and a Hausa man from Zamfara State in the northwest.
Born in Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria to the family of Sir Kashim Ibrahim and married to Nana Shettima with three children: two females and a male, DailyTimesNGR gathered.
He attended Lamisula Primary School in Maiduguri from 1972 to 1978; Government Community Secondary School, Biu in southern part of Borno State from 1978 to 1980; transferred to Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum (now in neighbouring Yobe State) where he completed his secondary education in 1983.
The young Shettima studied at the University of Maiduguri and earned a Degree, (BSc) Agricultural Economics in 1989. He had his one-year compulsory National Youths Service Corps, (NYSC) at the defunct Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative Bank, Calabar, capital of Cross River State in South-South, Nigeria, from 1989 to 1990.
He obtained a master’s degree (MSc) in Agricultural Economics in 1991 at the University of Ibadan in Southwest, Nigeria.
Shettima joined the University of Maiduguri as a Lecturer with the Department of Agricultural Economics and was in the academia from 1991 to 1993.
In 1993, he moved into the banking sector and was employed by (now defunct) Commercial Bank of Africa Limited as head of accounts unit at the bank’s office in Ikeja, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria.
Shettima was there from 1993 to 1997. In 1997 he crossed over to the African International Bank Limited as a Deputy Manager and rose to become a Manager in 2001.
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In 2001, he moved to the Zenith Bank as its Maiduguri branch. While at Zenith Bank he rose to Senior Manager/Branch Head; Assistant General Manager (AGM)/Zonal Head (North-East), Deputy General Manager/Zonal Head (North-East) before he stepped out of the Zenith Bank as a General Manager in 2007 following his appointment as Commissioner for Finance in Borno State.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, said it was not moved by the announcement of Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The umbrella Christian organisation said its leaders were determined to stand their ground against every form of intimidation, including the floating of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket by the political party.
The association’s chairman, Kaduna state chapter, Rev. John Hayab, said this in an interview on Sunday.
Hayab said: “We were ready for this announcement. We have put some media outlets on notice. All we are waiting for is the right signal to give a full blown reaction.
“We’ll escalate this issue because our call for fairness and the balancing of the presidential ticket for the sake justice, unity and fairness apparently fell on deaf ears.
“However, CAN is strongly determined to sacrifice everything to protect the interest of the Church in Nigeria. We will not be moved by any form of intimidation,” the CAN leader in the Northern region added.
He reiterated that a more profound reaction would be made available to the public through the media soon.
Reacting to the decision of Tinubu and the APC to fly a Muslim/Muslim ticket, a top leader of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, said the party will not enjoy its support.
The source said: “Our position remains the same. The political parties have been warned that any party that fields a Muslim/Muslim ticket will not enjoy the support of the Christian community.
“It is as simple as that. It applies now that the APC is throwing up a Muslim/Muslim ticket. The PFN has been saying it repeatedly that any party that flies that ticket, will not enjoy the support of the Christian community.”
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