Tinubu/Shettima: The Pan-Nigerian Alternative

By Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele

The presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as embodied by former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Jagaban Borgu) and former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima can be described as one team Nigeria that is bipartisan, no religious inclination and a truly Nigerian party comprising a team that has its sight on the development of Nigeria like never before seen.

The vision, inspiration, courage, personal sacrifice, personal example and experience of the above ticket has been tested and trusted over time when Asiwaju held sway as Governor of Lagos State for eight years, served at the Senate until the military intervention and today Lagos State has become a model city, not only in Nigeria but Africa.

He laid this foundation even when Lagos State was denied its statutory allocation during the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Asiwaju had to look within and think outside the box, by increasing the internally generated revenue (IGR) to cater for payment of civil servants, Lagos model city and pioneered the Treasury Single Account (TSA) also which is now used at the centre, the rest is now history.

The same story goes for Senator Kashim Shettima. According to Tinubu: “Much has been said, written about my decision to select Shettima to partner me on this journey. As a committed and progressive leader, I have read and listened to all that has been written and said; it has been an emotional situation for me.”

“Out of many competent Nigerians and out of many advice, I know it has to be my decision. And the hallmark of leadership is taking a decision at the right time when it ought to be taken.

“I did consult and I am proud to tell all of you here acknowledging the quality of our Vice President Kashim Shettima.” These were the words of Asiwaju Tinubu at the unveiling of Senator Shettima at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja recently.

Prior to the unveiling of Shettima, Asiwaju Tinubu in a statement early July, said “the spirit of 1993 is upon Nigerians again in 2023.” Making reference to the Abiola/Kingibe Muslim-Muslim ticket in 1993, he said he chose Shettima, because, “Senator Kashim Shettima’s career in politics and beyond shows that he is eminently qualified not only to deliver that all important electoral victory, but, also, step into the shoes of the Vice President. As a man with talent, maturity, strength of character and patriotism, he has my implicit confidence and faith.”

Senator Shettima has a similar history of performance and accomplishments when he was at the mantle of leadership (between 2011 and 2019) and the same at the National Assembly as Senator representing the state. Under him at Borno State, he left a huge educational legacy and built schools and educational facilities across the 29 local government areas in Borno State. He built ultra-modern schools, rehabilitated and refurbished others damaged by Boko Haram insurgents.

He also built model schools in Biu, Azare, 202 estates, Gumari airport, Yewa Government Girls College, with good living environment and so many other schools spread all over Maiduguri, so as to take care of 50,000 orphans across the state – children whose parents had been killed during the war.

This development templates across the state drew the anger of Boko Haram insurgents who tried on several occasions to kidnap and kill Senator Kashim Shettima.

We are still aware of the Kabiru Sokoto plot to kidnap Shettima’s children at Borno Lodge in 2012, the mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State which killed 37 people and injured 57 others.

Shettima, who is now the Vice Presidential candidate of the APC, decided then to relocate his family – two girls and a boy to Abuja, while Kabiru Sokoto disguised into the lodge and today, we are all aware of the story and its history, including numerous attempts on the life of Shettima by Boko Haram insurgents at different fora at different times since the insurgency started.

In 2016, Shettima rebuilt churches destroyed by Boko Haram in Borno, a state with over 80 percent Muslim population. On April 4, 2017, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed that Shettima released N210 million to rebuild churches in Borno. Shettima also ordered the rebuilding of churches destroyed in Borno, according to Thisday, September 26, 2016.

On September 30, 2016, Shettima promised to rebuild churches and other structures destroyed by Boko Haram in Lassa and visited liberated communities and accessed the level of damage in Lassa in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.

On November 26, 2017, the then President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama said he was attracted to the qualities in then Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, because he had proven not to be “narrow-minded and myopic,” but rather one who was broad minded and fair to adherents of all religious groups as being testified by Christian leaders from all denominations living in Borno.

Archbishop Kaigama stated this in Maiduguri, when he led Bishops to pay a courtesy call on then Governor Shettima on an empathy visit to Borno to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Maiduguri Catholic Diocese (1966 to 2016).

The icing on the cake on Senator Shettima happened when he was endorsed by the APC as Tinubu’s vice on the presidential ticket of the party and the wailers went to the market square to say that the distinguished Senator is a Boko Haram sympathizer and sponsor, while it is on record and well documented how Boko Haram tried killing him on various instances based on the timelines below:

ISWAP (the Islamic State of West African Province) claimed responsibility for the attack on Governor Shettima’s convoy (Channels TV, February 14, 2019, The Cable Online, February 22, 2019); 60 Killed, 100 Abducted in attack in Borno Governor’s convoy, in a new video message; Shekarau threatens Shettima, Zulum, Monguno, Bukarti, Dalung (Daily Nigerian, August 9, 2020); Fighting Boko Haram: Shettima alone funds 20,000 Civilian JTF for 6 years (Daily Trust, January 6, 2019 respectively, and so many others too numerous to mention here.

Both Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are men brought together by circumstances, or let’s say divine due to their competence, dedication and forthrightness in tackling issues frontally, no matter whose ox is gored, one complementing the other. I must say, I admire their outpouring of positive nationalism which is clearly reflected in the vision to turn Nigeria around from the brink of precipice to sustain a veritable value system that will change the country for good and take it to its glorious future.

In pursuance of the Asiwaju legacy in Lagos State, and Lagos as a model city as well as his vision for Nigeria of our dreams, I am (and we are) confident that the Asiwaju brand will place Nigeria in the threshold of history in spite of the campaign of calumny by the opposition, naysayers and pundits alike.

The present issue since the unveiling of Senator Kashim Shettima of Borno State as the vice presidential candidate of the APC is the overheating of the polity by political jobbers, disgruntled politicians, Nigerian religious bigots, CAN, prominent personalities, students, women groups, HURIWA (Human Rights Writers Association) and others not versed in Nigeria’s history have gone to town fanning the embers of a Muslim-Muslim ticket giving their reasons why it is not good for a secular state like Nigeria.

These people have forgotten that in Nigeria, we have freedom of association and worship and that religion should be separated from politics, especially when we have been at doldrums for a long time and this seems to be the only team ready, poised and experienced with the requisite competence to take Nigeria out of the present quagmire.

The Muslim-Muslim ticket is therefore, an explicit and covert manipulation of religion for political purposes towards the 2023 elections and must be seen as such and nothing more. There is no way the ticket can Islamize Nigeria or endanger Nigerians or give the Nigerian state to the Fulanis or Boko Haram as canvassed by the opposition and naysayers who are ignorant of the antecedents of the APC flag-bearer and their vision for the country.

The unguarded statements by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Lawan Babachir, should not be taken seriously as he is part and parcel of the APC team that narrowed the selection process to Shettima and therefore, there is more to it than meets the eyes. Babachir described the APC presidential platform as too desperate, not minding the fact that he was part of the consultative process that led to the decision.

There is no empirical evidence that the APC is willing to malign the Christian faith as canvassed by HURIWA and other bodies. Yes, we can infer or understand the fears based on the issues that have pervaded the landscape for the past seven years that the APC government held sway, but that can’t be used as a yardstick or parameter to rob or cast aspersions on the vision and mission of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket for a better Nigeria, an egalitarian society, where equity, justice and fair-play would become the order of the day.

Nevertheless, the APC flag-bearers are not insensitive to the plight of other religions but felt that their choice is the best team to take Nigeria to the Promised Land, regardless of all emotional sentiments attached to the nomination of Shettima as Tinubu’s vice. In some quarters, the nomination is making APC insensitive to Nigeria’s diversity or a threat to Christians and Nigeria’s peaceful co-existence as a nation, but the simple answer to this is NO. It is rather bringing core competence and professionalism to the fore, where Nigerians can aspire to any position of choice without pride or prejudice.

Yes, we all crave for balance and equity in the administration due to the verse resources of our fatherland and from time in history and since independence, including during the military era of General Ibrahim Babangida, and all other military administrations, the issue of balance of both faiths was taken into consideration.

But where has that gotten us today? The most recent was during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari when even the present APC flag-bearer, Asiwaju Tinubu was been put forward as vice presidential candidate but was changed at the last minute due to the Muslim-Muslim ticket and opted for balance. The present flag-bearers of the APC cannot be reduced to their religious faith but rather look at the bigger picture of the Nigerian nation and a future to bequeath to our children.

Therefore, those finding faults with the Muslim-Muslim ticket must stop and not overheat the polity with the divisive slang, but rather look at the bigger picture of what both flag-bearers are to bring to the table – core competence and years of achievements; being core party men, who are consistent with experience as an advantage, who have kept touch with their base and maintaining a goodwill sparing several decades and years for patriotism and nationalism.

The APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Adamu aptly captures Asiwaju Tinubu, describing him as a detribalized Nigerian who has carried everyone along, irrespective of their ethnic and political differences. He commended Tinubu for the choice of Shettima, thus following the path of the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (of blessed memory) who picked Babagana Kingibe as his running mate.

The Chairman affirmed that Tinubu can be trusted to run an all-inclusive government as President in 2023 general elections. That Tinubu is a man who has also thrown his arm around every tribe in Nigeria. He has offered his shoulders for those in pain to lean on and has used his wealth to bring succor and hope to the needy and less privileged.

According to Adamu: “Tinubu can be trusted to run an inclusive government in which character, competence and vision matter to his administration.” He stated this while defending Shettima for his right qualities and loyalty to the party at all times.

Consequently, what both tickets hold for Nigeria is the incredible vision and strength of character. Nigerians are indeed lucky to be standing on the shoulders of these two remarkable political titans of the decade who are patriots and nationalists of the first order who are readily charged with the vision to see Nigerians through. These are flag-bearers whose foresight and pragmatic decisions to sacrifice their personal interests and sectional sentiments for the overall good of the nation across ethnic, religious and regional status, as well as stakeholders.

This ticket, like Senator Shettima said, “is not an imposition, it’s an outcome of democracy at its practical best, and based on the aggregation of the ideas and insights of our great party stakeholders. If this were an unpopular option, as the cast of partisan provocateurs have attempted to paint, there wouldn’t have been tonnes of goodwill messages, especially from distinguished Christians, from all over the country. This ticket is a Nigerian project, not a sectional agenda that the frightened camps have been struggling to sensationalize.” This was aptly captured by no other person but Shettima himself.

Nigerians will all agree that this ticket is indeed calculated and planned by the APC, knowing full well how rational the citizens are and by their permutations, this is the only way to victory for 2023. The flag-bearers are bound by passion to retain power in order to deepen democracy and deliver a unifying and transformative governance to our people.

Nigerians must therefore, overlook the pedestrian attempts to politicize the religious affiliations of the APC flag-bearers but rather yield to the message of hope and the manifestation of prosperity, equity, justice, security, employment, economic growth to the county of our dreams. They should reason that indeed these two candidates who are game-changers and change-agents can bring the much-desired positive change to the political landscape.

However, even with the various hues and cries, the ticket has remained the very best option to bring the needed positive change and nothing more by defying the stereotype, sectional and a good decision over sentiments of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Just recently, eminent persons sent their voice to the clarion call for Muslim-Muslim ticket that Nigerians should look beyond the religious connotations but look at their competence for the task ahead. The likes of Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Catholic Diocese and Pastor Tunde Bakare, a presidential aspirant of the APC in the 2022 primaries, also said that Nigerians should look at the competence of the candidates and jettison the religious aspect for the prosperity of the country and our collective future.

For point of emphasis, the APC presidential bearer, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s wife is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), while Tinubu has also played host to Pastor Enoch Adeboye few days ago to consult and rub minds on the next move and how the Christians and Muslims can move past this and see it from a competent point of view that will win elections and nothing more.

The big question still remains that if Tinubu has allowed his wife of over 40 years to, not only remain a Christian but become a pastor in one of the largest churches of the land, what fears do Christians have? Why did Tinubu not insist on converting the wife and Children to Christianity?

The Tinubu/Shettima brand will place before Nigerians, their people-oriented cardinal programmes that encompass fear of God, justice for all, respect for rule of law, justice and fairness for all. There is also respect for religious and ethnic diversity, restructuring to decentralize governance to the local level, creation of state police with policies put in place for internal security, which will also include free quality education from primary to university levels.

Part of their manifesto include the reinvigorated anti-terror wars, using the Lagos model and other asymmetrical warfare methodologies, community policing, structure created for internal security of the nation, the improvement of the opportunities in the agricultural sector, using modern mechanization tools, technology, provision of adequate infrastructure and the creation of opportunities in science and technology.

Also promised is the improvement on the capacity in the health sector, eradication of corruption, reduction in vandalization of national assets, creation of employment opportunities, improvement in diplomatic relationships with other countries, rapid sports development, increasing the capacity to generate internal revenue, creating multiple platforms to generate electricity by allowing more investors in the generation and distribution sectors.

The Tinubu/Shettima ticket will also create more people’s consortia to make Nigerians happy and aspire to any office of their choice.

The Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC presidential flag-bearers, is one of hope and change, a ticket of Nigerian for Nigerians and a pan-Nigerian ticket for economic prosperity. Nigerians should vote to defend our country’s national resources, economic growth; and vote leaders who are experienced with character, competence, capacity and policies that drive development and look beyond religious sentiments for our collective good.

Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele is a media scholar, activist, brand adviser, research fellow and communications specialist; Fmr Media Adviser to the President (2010-2015).