The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, has commended the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the party’s vice presidential candidate, asking Nigerians and real voters to ignore opposition political parties’ sentiment of religion.
In a statement released Monday in Abuja, the APC chieftain assured Nigerians that fears being expressed in some quarters only exist in the realm of imagination of the opposition.
The APC spokesman, who described Shettima as the best choice to win the 2023 presidential election, said the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have been thrown off balance since the announcement of Shettima, hence the noise and their agony.
According to Ajaka, Senator Shettima is a man of knowledge, accomplishment, courage, and integrity, who is not given to bigotry or having corruption badges with any anti-corruption agencies.
He said: “The sterling qualities of our vice presidential candidate, in the person of Senator Kashim Shettima, have once again thrown the opposition parties off balance. They (PDP and others) would have preferred our presidential candidate to settle for the less to make it easy for them to win the election (God forbid), but the choice of the trusted and trustworthy Shettima must have disorganised their evil plans; we understand they’re in the APC.
“While we sympathise with the opposition parties, we appeal to Nigerians, who will eventually be the beneficiaries of good governance under the Tinubu-Shettima presidency, to see beyond the sentiments of religion and tribe. Both Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are not religious fundamentalists or ultra Muslims; their records in public offices are testimonies to rely on.
As a two-term governor in Borno state, Shettima enjoyed the support of the Christian community throughout his tenure. The Borno chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) testified that, ‘In the history of Borno state, there is no governor that has been as fair to the Christian community as Governor Kashim Shettima.
“For example, it was Governor Shettima, in the history of Borno, who sponsored the highest number of Christian pilgrims every year from 2011 till he left office. This and many other records of mutual respect for all faiths are there to verify in Borno State.”
Ajaka said APC and its presidential candidate will not be distracted from the goal of winning the 2023 general elections at all levels.
“If Borno State has the largest votes in the North-east where Kashim Shettima has been governor for 8 years and is now a Senator and still politically relevant; if the APC has enjoyed massive support from this state and the entire North-east; and if the emergence of Shettima as our vice presidential candidate will deny the candidate of the PDP the smooth ride in the zone, I think the 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 Senator Kashim Shettima represents,” the APC spokesman said.
