Shettima: Competence Over Other Considerations
By Otunba Abayomi Odunowo, National Chairman, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu Support Group, AATSG.
Senator Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno State and the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has had to endure unwarranted attacks after Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced him as his running mate.
Most of the attacks question the choice of a Muslim running mate in spite of the avalanche of Christians in the northern part of the country. Some Christian leaders even called the choice an insult on the generality of northern Christians.
However, it is worthy to note that no person has doubted the intellectual capacity of Shettima to serve in that role for the benefit of the country.
The attacks have been largely on religious emotions because, they argue, there’s an unwritten constitution that any presidential ticket has to comprise faithful of both Christianity and Islam.
But then, this arrangement is not found in our legal literature and the Constitution. And by that very fact, if this time around, someone is breaking from the norm, the whole race should not be anchored on what faith candidate come from or what God or gods they serve.
Because at the end of the day, if we go back far enough into our heritage history, we were neither Christians nor Muslims in Africa. That a subject for another day.
Now to the Tinubu/Shettima ticket. All Progressives Congress, APC, as a party is only interested in one thing come 2023: produce Tinubu as successor to Buhari. Period. As a matter of fact, that’s the essence of political parties formation: win elections to form government.
Now, if in APC’s strategy, Tinubu and Shettima will deliver the goods, then they should not be castigated for going for that choice at the altar of political correctness.
The party will naturally see Shettima as a brilliant man with superior intellectual capacity, studious, detailed with excellent organizational skill whom faith is immaterial to their ultimate goal, which is winning the presidency.
And I will urge us citizens to see the move from purely strategic prism for electoral success. What Nigerians should work and pray for is a leadership that will deliver the country from the current myriad of problems besetting the nation.
And again, we should look at how Tinubu, the presidential candidate views religion in his household. Even his most ardent critics would agree that he is as tolerant as anyone can be in respect of religion.
His wife, Remi, is a pastor and his children are Christians. Like I said before, his choice of Shettima is purely strategic perhaps to convince a segment of the country who might see him as not being Muslim enough to earn their votes. Who knows? And to convince such people, Shettima is the joker.
Again, Tinubu has said it several times that it is ridiculous for anyone to insinuate that he wants to suppress Christians given his personal experience in living his life surrounded by Christians.
He said, “Every time I thought about it, and I did think a lot; I came to the same conclusion: Kashim Shettima
He has excellent organization skills, Shettima fully understands the vital difference between governance and politics.’
‘This exceptionally gifted human being has humility of spirit, courage of his convictions and a strongly progressive world view in harmony with my own perspectives on government and its relationship to the governed.
‘ I trust the calibre of the man. I know the great lengths he went in fighting Boko Haram in his state. He did his best to protect the Christian community and rebuilt damaged churches.
“This man understands the value of our national diversity in all of its ramifications, including religions. He possesses the courage to stand up to those who would wreck that diversity and freedom.”
He continued, “I know people have reacted harshly to my selection. They have done so without knowing the man or giving him or me a fair chance.
“The rumour that this is some plot to suppress the Christian community is untrue and unfortunate.
“I can no more suppress the Christians of this nation than I can suppress the Christians in my own household, my very family. You all know my wife is Christian and a pastor. My children are Christians. I can no more disown them and their choice of faith than I can disown myself. As a husband and father to Christian wife and children, hearing such allegations is hurtful.”
It is about time Nigerians chose the best team to take Nigeria to the heights our independence fathers envisaged. To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.
