By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CelestineOkaf11
Thirty two (32) days after his emergence on Wednesday June 8, 2022, as presidential flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, on Sunday, finally chose Senator Kashim Shetima, also a former governor of Borno State, as his vice presidential candidate, for the 2023 presidential poll.
Tinubu had announced his choice of Shetima to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday at the residence of the President in his home state, Daura, Katsina State, while on a Sallah homage to him.
Even Tinubu's political acolyte, Joe Igbokwe, confirmed on his Facebook wall, on Sunday evening, that "Finally, it is Kashim Shettima!!!" Igbokwe's post however elicited instant mixed reactions from both Muslim and Christian commentators, some of who hailed Tinubu's choice of Shetima, while many others like Comrade Nseobong Odoro, saw the move as "dead on arrival".
The nomination of Senator Kashim Shettima has somewhat put-paid to weeks of public speculations and anxiety within the APC over, whether or not, Tinubu will settle for a muslim-muslim or a muslim-christian ticket, in which names like the Kano state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and Christian names such as Plateau State governor, Solomon Lalong and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, among others, featured prominently.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), had, on Sunday, reported that Tinubu will today (Sunday, July 10, 2022) present his vice presidential choice to the national leader of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is currently in his home town, Daura, in Katsina state, for the Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) celebration.
NAN, in it's report, had quoted an anonymous privileged source within the Tinubu Campaign Group as hinting to the News Agency, that the APC Presidential flagbearer would likely pick his running mate from the North-East geo-political zone where his opponent, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, came from. The source, NAN reported, revealed that such choice would be a former governor.
NAN's source was quoted in the report as follows: “The person is also by accident of birth a Muslim, confirming what Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State said on Saturday that Tinubu had settled for a Muslim-Muslim ticket".The News Agency's source further added that Tinubu was not particular about the religious faith of his would-be running mate, but someone who would bring "competence, exposure and intellectual" value to the table
The source said: “The considerations given for the choice of a running mate were dictated by the need to choose an individual capable of working with the presidential candidate to take Nigeria to greater heights.”
While the search for an authentic running mate was in progress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is well known as the 'Jagaban' (in reference to his traditional title from Borgu), chose a close party stalwart, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabiru Masari, as placeholder, for the vice-presidential slot, in other to meet the earlier deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the submission of candidates by political parties.
Shetima, according to internal sources both within the APC and the Tinubu's Presidential fold, was said to have played a formidable role before and during the APC presidential primary for the emergence of the Asiwaju Tinubu as candidate of the party. It was specifically rumoured that Senator Shetima who represents Borno Central Senatorial district in the National Assembly was highly instrumental in getting most of the northern party men and some Southern members to step down for Tinubu during the primary.
Not only that, Shetima, shortly before the APC Presidential primary, was all over the broadcast media stations to canvass delegates votes and support for Asiwaju Tinubu, who just returned to Nigeria at the weekend from a brief holiday in France, Europe. NNL.
