2023: Lawan, Speaker, Governors, Others Welcome Tinubu And Shettima Joint Ticket

Lawan, speaker, governors, among others has welcomed Tinubu and Shettima joint ticket ahead of 2023 election.

According to a report by The Nation, senate President Ahmad Lawan yesterday hailed the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for picking former Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima as his running mate.

Lawan, who also chairs the Northeast Caucus of the ruling party, said in a statement that Tinubu and the APC made a right choice.

He described Shettima as a loyal and committed party member who has “what it takes to be an excellent running mate to our flag bearer, and Insha Allah, the vice-president of Federal Republic of Nigeria from next year.”

The statement reads: “On behalf of myself and the Northeast Caucus of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), , I heartily congratulate His Excellency, Senator Kashim Ibrahim Shettima, on his nomination as the running mate to our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the 2023 general elections.

“Asiwaju Tinubu and our party have made an excellent choice in Senator Shettima.

“The former two-term governor of Borno State entered public service with impeccable credentials, which he has burnished by demonstrating great competence, integrity and courage in all the positions that he has held.

“His background in academics and the private sector prepared him for the achievements that he has recorded in politics as governor and since his election to the Senate in 2019.

“A loyal and committed member of our party, Senator Shettima has what it takes to be an excellent running mate to our flag bearer, and Insha Allah, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from next year.

“We of the Northeast Caucus of the APC attest that Senator Kashim Ibrahim Shettima is the right man for the job and that he will be an able and loyal lieutenant to our incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Insha Allah.

“We as a caucus pledge our full cooperation and support to our candidates as we march again towards another resounding victory in the general elections.”

The Senate President enjoined all APC members across the country “ to give the APC standard-bearer and his running mate their utmost support.”

He added that the choice of Shettima was the best for the country.

House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila also welcomed the choice of Shettima, saying the former governor has what it takes to help Tinubu get the nation’s economy back on a growth path.

He said that Tinubu, being “the biggest talent hunter in the country” made another wise decision by choosing Shettima as his vice-presidential candidate.

The speaker, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, said that the former governor has over the years proved his mettle as a shrewd and progressive politician.

He said “Asiwaju is widely known as the biggest talent hunter in the country who has over the years assembled an army of performers in governance irrespective of their ethnicity or religious leaning.

“This unique feature also can be found in Senator Shettima following his track record of excellence in both the private and public sectors”.

Gbajabiamila added that having Shettima as a vice-president under a Tinubu presidency would be a masterstroke in the management of the economy.

He expressed optimism that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket would lead to success at the polls for the APC.

Gbajabiamila congratulated Tinubu for making “the wise decision,” noting that Nigerians yearned for such a great team.

The speaker called on Nigerians to support the Tinubu/Shettima ticket and other APC candidates for various elective offices during the 2023 elections.

Ganduje congratulates Tinubu, Shettima

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State congratulated Shettima over his nomination, saying he is competent and highly qualified to be vice president.

Ganduje, in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, also praised Tinubu, for making a right choice.

He said he had no doubt that Tinubu-Shettima ticket would lead to APC’s success at the 2023 polls.

“Senator Kashim Shetima is highly quick-witted and prepared for the office of the Vice President,” he said.

The governor disclosed that during the pre-presidential primary electioneering, he shared a common experience with Shettima who played a major role that brought to the fore, his qualification, competence and exposure.

He called on Nigerians, particularly members of the APC, to rally around Tinubu and his running mate to ensure their success.

Candidate, running mate sure victory for APC, says Buni

Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni also said that the “combination of Tinubu and Shettima makes” the APC stronger and prepared to clinch the Presidency next year.

Buni, who was APC’s Caretaker Committee acting chairman, described Shettima as “a worthy vice-presidential candidate.”.

The governor stated that Tinubu and Shettima are men with a wealth of experience in governance to make Nigeria great.

“Their administrative competence, skills and success stories have adequately prepared them for the leadership of the country. Nigeria has a lot to gain from the Tinubu/Shettima administration when elected into office” he said in a statement by his spokesman, Mamman Mohammed.

Buni advised that at this critical moment of a dwindling World economy, Nigeria needed an excellent combination and experience of Tinubu and Shettima.

He charged the APC to remain united and focused on a successful outing in 2023.

The governor noted that Tinubu and Shettima have great respect for all religions, making the Muslim-Muslim ticket more acceptable.

“With a population of over 40 million members, APC will by the grace of God win the 2023 elections fairly and squarely,” Buni said.

Kwankwaso: I’ll recommend Tinubu if….

New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso said he will support Tinubu whenever he realises that his aspiration might not materialise.

Kwankwaso made this known in an interview with Arise Television on Sunday night.

The former Kano State governor, who said he had a good rapport with the APC presidential candidate in the past, added that he would not underrate his (Tinubu) capabilities and tactics to manage Nigeria’s affairs if elected President.

Kwankwaso said: “I am so happy about the combination, my only worry is the platform, I know Bola Tinubu is a strategist; he is a good man, and I have had reasons to sit with him several times, from 1990 till date.

“The only thing I don’t know is what he will tell Nigerians he will do differently from what President Muhammadu Buhari is doing. Ordinarily, if I cannot get (the presidency) I can recommend Tinubu”.

Sheriff backs Tinubu-Shettima ticket

Former Governor of Borno State Ali Modu Sheriff has drummed up support for Tinubu and Shettima.

Sheriff, who commended the choice of Shettima by Tinubu, urged his political associates and all APC members to support the duo.

“I have given my blessings to the Tinubu/ Shettima APC 2023 presidential ticket,” he said in a statement by the Director-General of Ali Modu Sheriff Campaign Organisation, Dr Cairo Ojougboh.

The former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) added in the statement that Shettima had personally informed him of his nomination.

The statement reads in part: “We have given him and his principal (Tinubu) our blessings and we implore all hands to be on deck as we work in unity to ensure the party’s electoral victory in 2023.

“All party stakeholders and members must work together to ensure that the APC wins the 2023 presidential election irrespective of whatever sentiments we may harbour.”

While pledging to ensure a landslide victory for the APC in the general elections, Sheriff said: “As an individual and a critical stakeholder of the APC, I am ready to work with the team and other stakeholders of the party to ensure its electoral victory in 2023 general elections at all levels.

“We are all APC members and should come together and campaign for the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket and for the party to win the elections at all levels.

“From the depth of my heart, I support the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket and I believe that with Allah on our side, our victory is assured.”

Borno deputy governor, other stakeholders commend Tinubu

APC stakeholders in Borno State, including Deputy Governor Umar Kadafur, also lauded the emergence of Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate.

The other stakeholders are Zainab Gimba and Satomi Ahmad of the House of Representatives; Alhaji Ciroma Usman, Shehu Wajes and Usman Alkali.

They said in separate reactions to the development that the former governor’s choice was good news to the people of the state.

To Kadafur, Shettima’s emergence was a well-deserved and welcome development.

The deputy governor said that he was very proud of Shettima for pursuing and achieving his ambition. Stating that the choice of the former governor also meant more responsibility and authority, he added that the vice-presidential candidate has the capacity to bring great things to the nation.

Gimba, who represents Bama/Ngala/ Kala-Balge Constituency in the House of Representatives, said Shettima would add value to the ticket.

Gimba commended Tinubu for choosing Shettima and urged the people of Borno to work for the success of the APC in the state and Nigeria in general.

Tinubu right on choice, by SAN

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oba Maduabuchi, commended Tinubu on the choice of Shettima.

Maduabuchi argued that by the existing political circumstances of the country, it would have been unwise for Tinubu not to pick a Muslim from the North as his running mate.

He advised Nigerians to understand the nation’s political dynamics, adding that the choice of a Muslim vice presidential candidate was not a matter of religion, but a matter of exigency.

The senior lawyer said: ” In political decisions, it is interest that reigns supreme. What is your interest? What is your objective and not your religion or sentiments are?

“The important thing is what is your interest and objectives in the political venture.”

Maduabuchi further argued that politics and political successes in an election are controlled by votes and not political and religious sentiments.

He added: ” Everything every candidate in an election is seeking are votes. If he comes to your church or mosque, he is coming there to campaign for votes.

“So, if Tinubu, being a Southern Muslim decides to pick a Christian from the North as his running mate, he will lose the election because the North is predominantly Muslim.

“If you exclude the Northern Muslim in the electoral equation, how many votes do you think he will get from the North?

“So, it is the circumstances of Nigerian polity that make it compelling that he must pick a Northern vice presidential candidate.

“Can you imagine a Christian presidential candidate from the North picking a Muslim from the South as his running mate?.”

Borno CAN defends Tinubu’s decision

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno State said the fuss over Tinubu’s nomination of Shettima as his running mate was unnecessary.

It commended Tinubu for the decision, saying its members were happy because Shettima was a Christian-friendly Muslim when he was in power as governor between 2011 and 2019.

The CAN chapter recalled that as a governor, the vice-presidential candidate “sponsored the highest number of Christian pilgrims every year since 2011..”

The association said this in a statement yesterday by its Chairman Bishop Mohammed Naga

Naga said that as a Christian cleric, he has nothing to fear about Tinubu picking a Muslim as his running mate. His statement reads: “I am speaking boldly without fear or favour because as CAN chairman I do not receive salary or kobo from government or any institution, but the facts need to be told. As Governor of Borno State, he (Shettima) had shown compassion to the Christian community.

“My brothers, those who are not from Borno State may not know, but you and I know better. In the history of Borno State, there is no governor that has been fair to the Christian community in this state as much as Governor Kashim Shettima.

“I am saying this in the presence of God Almighty and this is nothing but the truth. Governor Shettima, in the history of Borno, is the only governor that has sponsored the highest number of Christian Pilgrims every year since 2011.

“For example, when Gwoza people were driven from their ancestral homes, they fled to Maiduguri, and the Governor personally came to CAN Centre in Jerusalem ward two times in June and July 2014.

“He gave N10 million for their upkeep at first instance, but the victims were not many. By the end of October 2014, the IDPs from Gwoza increased to 42,000 in that camp alone.

“Governor Shettima came again and gave another N10 million. He also gave an additional N5 million to Christians from Borno who fled to Cameroon to be returned home.

“He gave another N5 million to non-indigenes who fled to Cameroon to come back to Nigeria.

“The governor even directed the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), to be supplying food directly to the IDPs under the Christian leadership.

“In fact, the governor insisted that he wanted Christian IDPs to stay together with their Muslim counterparts in various designated IDP camps here in Maiduguri but we the leaders felt it wise to separate Christian IDPs to avoid frictions between displaced persons dealing with trauma.

“Sincerely speaking as a Christian and a preacher, absolutely I have nothing to fear about Asiwaju’s picking a Muslim as his running mate because he’s not a religious bigot and I’m happy he has made his mind known to the public in the person of his preferred running mate.”

Catholic cleric: Fuss over Muslim-Muslim ticket: unnecessary

A Catholic cleric, Rev. Fr. Oluoma Chinenye John, advised Nigerians to stop dissipating energy on Tinubu picking a Muslim as his vice-presidential candidate.

He said his advice was informed by the fact that there are many other parties that anyone miffed by the choice of Shettima could vote for.

“Crying over APC’s candidates in the midst of other candidates questions our readiness to change the status quo or our capacity to make and accept informed decisions,” the clergyman, who is popularly known in Abuja as Fada Oluoma, wrote on his verified Facebook page yesterday.

He added that if the APC .wins with a Muslim-Muslim ticket next year, it would only mean a Moslem assuming power after President Muhammadu Buhari.

He wrote, “APC is just one party, we have other parties in Nigeria. One of the beauties of democracy is the availability of options.

“There’s only one major reason behind the Muslim-Muslim ticket by APC; electoral victory. Without a Muslim vice-president, the APC will lose significant votes from the North and probably lose the entire Presidency. This is the fear and the reason for a Muslim vice-president. Don’t let anyone beguile you to make it a religious problem, if you do, you will keep losing the big picture.

“I’ll never reduce this issue to a religious problem, it’s more of political dexterity. APC chose electoral votes over religious sentiments. Of course, APC knows a number of Christians will be offended, but they still went ahead probably knowing that the Mathematics of more votes favours them in this issue more than feelings.

“If you don’t like it, you are right. Crying and bemoaning it? That’s where you and I separate.

“Whether this is a smart move by APC or not depends on voters. If it’s a bad strategy, it’s the APC that should bemoan it, not you an independent voter. Even card-carrying members of a party are not forced to vote for the candidates of their party.”

Tinubu/Shettima ticket ‘ll fly, says Yakasai

Elder statesman and former Special Adviser to the late President Shehu Shagari, Tanko Yakasai, defended the APC Muslim-Muslim combination, saying it “is not strange.”

Yakasai, a founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), said in Kano that he was confident that “the joint ticket is representational and will give victory to the ruling party..”

He argued that “those canvassing for anything contrary to the existing arrangement want Tinubu to fail.”

He said: “This is not the first time a candidate or leader of this country and his deputy share the same faith.

“When Maj.- Gen. Muhammadu Buhari seized power in 1983, his deputy who was the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Maj- Gen. Tunde Idiagbon were both Muslims from the Northern region.

“Late Mashood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, a southern Muslim and his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, recorded a landslide victory in the 1993 general elections.

“Therefore, it’s not something new to Nigeria, and I’m particularly not disturbed that history has repeated itself, certainly it will work.

“Tinubu is from the Southwest from a minority religion, if you ask him to take a minority, Northern Christian, it will be a minority ticket, and such arrangements negate the principle of participatory democracy.

“Northern population consist of 85 per cent Muslims, and in the principle of fairness, you must choose from the dominant faith to enable the ticket fly.

“Don’t forget, Christian faithful in the north consist less than 20 per cent of the region’s population, therefore Tinubu’s choice is representational, balanced and fair to competing stakeholders in Nigeria.”

“A combination of a minority from the South and the North can’t win a competitive election in Nigeria.”
Ignore PDP, others, APC deputy spokesman advises Nigerians

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Murtala Ajaka has appealed to Nigerians to ignore complaints by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and others over the APC opting for a Muslim-Muslim ticket for next year’s presidential election.

Ajaka, while commending Tinubu’s choice of Shettima, said the fears being expressed only existed in the imagination of the PDP and opposition political parties.

He described Shettima as the best choice for the APC to retain power at the centre in 2023. According to him, the opposition parties had been thrown off balance since Shettima was unveiled by Tinubu.

Ajaka said Shettima is a man not given to bigotry or having corruption badges with any anti-corruption agency. His words: “The PDP and others would have preferred our presidential candidate to settle for the less to make it easy for them to win the election.

“But the choice of the trusted and trustworthy Shettima must have disorganised their evil plans.

“While we sympathise with the opposition parties, we appeal to Nigerians, who will eventually be the beneficiaries of good governance under Tinubu-Shettima presidency, to see beyond the sentiments of religion and tribe.

“Both Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Sen. Kashim Shettima are not religious fundamentalists or ultra Muslims, their records in public offices are testimonies to rely on.”

Ajaka recalled that Shettima enjoyed the support of the Christian community throughout his tenure as governor of Borno State.

“This and many other records of mutual respect for all faiths, are there to verify in Borno,” Ajaka said.

He, however, added that the APC and its presidential candidate would not be distracted from the goal of winning the 2023 general elections.

“Borno has the largest votes in the North-East where Kashim Shettima has been governor for eight years and now a Senator and still politically relevant.

“If APC had enjoyed massive support from this state and the entire North-East and the emergence of Shettima as our vice-presidential candidate will deny the candidate of the PDP a smooth ride in the zone.

“I think APC and our presidential candidate are politically correct because our main goal, for now, is to emerge victorious in the coming elections, not forgetting competence which Shettima represents,” he said.