2023: Is Kashim Shettima becoming a political rallying point in northeast Nigeria?

By: James Bwala, Maiduguri

Indications are that all is set for the tackle and thrilling to take place following approval given by President Muhammadu Buhari of February 2022 for the APC National Convention. This has further explained that members of the party may be on the fast track to drool and be drooling one and another from within the ruling party for the opportunity to gain favour and to be voted. This could be either by simple majority or by appointment as it is always with the new style of winning through the consensus. Certainly a lot is ahead for the all out in 2023 and if this arrangement succeeds, there is no doubt that Borno state is on its way to producing the next Nigeria’s second citizen.

However, interestingly the name Kashim Shettima keeps coming amongst gladiators not only from Borno state but also across the northeast region and by extension the larger part of the country. This was observed by both the politicians, rumour mongers and analysts of unfolding events within the APC. The question one may be tempted to ask as the days unfold is that; Is Kashim Shettima now the political rallying point in northeast Nigeria? Facts have shown that his activism or rather do-gooding across the northeast particularly as explained by politicians within the region puts him (Kashim Shettima) at vantage point for political history making within the All Progressive Congress, APC.

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NEWSng reports that, ahead of the 2023 Presidential Election, the South West Movement for Osinbajo (SOWEMOVE) has urged governors and traditional rulers in the region to prevail on the former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step down for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the battle for the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC. The group has consequently begun lobbying governors, traditional rulers, business and political elites in Yorubaland to carefully weigh various options and seriously consider backing the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo.

Presenting a report and copies of several correspondences with Obas and other eminent personalities in the South West to the Director of Operations of The Progressive Project (TPP), Alhaji Aliyu Usman Aliyu in Abuja recently, the group said youths of the region will become arrowheads of efforts towards making Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, successor to President Muhammadu Buhari. Perhaps Tinubu is also considering this option, looking at chances to bring down a political “ROCK” with his name encrypted. If that happens and of course with the crystal clear argument on the horizon; it will be the Osinbajo/Shettima ticket.  This would be perfect as there would be no sentiments around religion as characterized in the past. And indeed if Tinubu considered this and supported Osinbajo/Shettima, he would undeniably be remembered as a pillar that stabilizes democracy in Nigeria. More to this, he will be the first to make such a record in political history in the country by having two of his political students as the President and Vice President of Nigeria and by extension he would also have the National Assembly as the extension of his political empire.

Speaking on this scheming, Usman Rabiu, a political analyst in Abuja observed that “the southwest geopolitical region of Nigeria has former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its political leader. No one has doubted his capacity in building a strong political territory that is working for him today.” He said “As Tinubu ages, he is not diminishing politically given the fact that he has raised political children occupying strategic political positions. This is a fact that makes him leader of the ruling party in Nigeria. Without any argument he has assumed this position and remained a big voice in the polity of this country.

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“One of Tinubu’s students of politics (Kashim Shettima) is making a positive impact by design, destiny and fate. His feathers were spread like the eagle across the northeast region. He was a successful Banker and as commissioner, he served in five ministries drawing experience in education, Agriculture, finance, Health and Local government ministry. He rose from a super Commissioner to become the first Borno intellectually sound governor. He served his eight years term and gave Borno a successor, who is making not only Borno citizens proud but Nigerians as a whole.” He said.

NEWSng observed that Kashim Shettima, a current serving senator of the Federal Republic representing Borno central is a man who loves books. Such however, is not the like of a typical Nigerian politician but Kashim Shettima’s trend, drift, learning, inclination, tendency, movement and development politically has presented a unique, inimitable, distinctive and matchless political figure.

For a long time the northeast has lost a leader figure firmly in place to give voice to the people, to speak to political firmaments and to present an equally coordinated team for the region. But as the 2023 political year draws by, observation across the region is signifying a revival and presenting a history of lifecycles. When NEWSng spoke with a cross section of the people on leading voices in the northeast, it was gathered that Kashim Shettima stood tall following his activities, connections and marketability. A testament to these facts was when he spoke for the people on the floor of the National Assembly; he was not speaking for the eight local government areas of Borno state where he pledged and represented as a constituency. But when he stood to speak, he did for the northeast region where many representatives have lost their voices on issues and matters regarding the safety and well-being of their people. It was a choice to either go down or stand tall. Such sacrifices only go with charismatic leadership, which Shettima has demonstrated.

Speaking to a former deputy governor, who did not want his name on print for some reasons, he said “I can without doubt say that the fingers of the clock stand exactly on the bright side of the day. There are signals that the buildup for VP in 2023 is pointing towards the former Borno state governor as the political rallying point for the northeast region. Fatefully, this was the position he took in 2015 when he demonstrated mastery of the political game by putting Political Czars of Borno permanently on retirement. Kashim Shettima has mastered the act of gathering a crowd and he selects his lieutenants carefully. You can see that everyone on the other side before is now on this side. This speaks more of his forgiving spirit and open mind.

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“Recently, I have traveled across the northeast states. I have met and chatted with grassroots politicians to feel their pulse about 2023. I have deliberately put questions to them during our long discussion on preferred candidates and making some assessment. While gauging on leading politicians I have found it of interest to speak about the former governor, Senator Kashim Shettima with senior politicians. It was about politics and it is about how to get a leader for the northeast region as we go into another round of politics. We have been supporting the Northwest and it is time for them to support us.

“Our people believe that power belongs to God and only He gives power to those he wishes to give to at a particular point in time. Despite the fact that you can find this saying almost on the lips of every Politician particularly, when election time near or comes about you see politicians also falling over themselves seeking favour from wherever it may come. However, when such favours did not come by they quickly forget this and will begin to look elsewhere as the source of their failure. We have been in that situation in the northeast simply because we have no firm leaders and the political voice has always gone to the northwest. Perhaps this is about time to seek for one and interestingly as well as arrangement by divine we are getting back what we have lost.

“2023 is about a time when Nigerians will again begin to see the manifestation of all kinds of politics. Such belief is beginning to come by as politicians begin to find rallying points to further their aspirations toward making better choices. In Borno state and by extension the northeast, these armies of Political office seekers are beginning to align and realign strategists of finding favour and hoping to be picked by political godfathers for the epic battle. In the northeast, many believed Borno remained the boiling pot doctrinally. And by that, who then is the rallying point? Certainly now is Kashim Shettima because we all are going to need his experience, his connections and thinking faculty and capacity to see beyond the rhetoric.” He said

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Ibrahim Abubakar, a politician from Gombe state also observed that the former Borno state governor has played a key role in reconciling differences among politicians. “If you go through his records as former Chairman of the northern governor’s forum, you will agree with me that he has played a key role in stabilizing the APC when it was hit by crises and almost dividing. He has stepped into many political struggles resulting in misunderstanding between former governors and their successors. He stood in among the senators to calm nerves as well as between members of the National Assembly (Senators/Reps) not only for the extraction from Borno state but also across the country to preach peace. I can go on and on. I think he is a learning political figure worthy of emulation.“

Ba’bunu Wakil also spoke about arrangements and rearrangement within the ruling party ahead of 2023.  He made certain disclosures by examining the political trend and mentioning few names but concluding that Senator Kashim Shettima may have been position to take the place of leading political icons that history spoke well of them like the great Waziri Ibrahim whose theory and practice of politics without bitterness still speak to this day.

According to him, “Take everything from Kashim Shettima but you cannot take his vision for Borno, northeast and Nigeria as a whole. Whenever Kashim Shettima is in town, his house becomes like Mecca. It was always like that since he left the Maiduguri Government House. Even the Nicodemus among politicians were not left out. In their characters, they always find him.”

2023: Is Kashim Shettima becoming a political rallying point in northeast Nigeria?