2023: Why should anyone be incensed over Shettima’s Choice as Tinubu’s Running Mate?

2023: Why should anyone be incensed over Shettima’s Choice as Tinubu’s Running Mate?

By: James Bwala

Between Sunday the 10th of July, 2022 and now there has been a lot of noise about the choice of former Borno state governor, Senator Kashim Shettima as running mate to APC candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Some angry politicians felt the choice was not right but before now they could not offer the right person for their choice. Tinubu was left between the devil and the blue sea.

On one hand, the Muslims are clamouring to have their own from the northeast and on the other hand the Christians are also clamouring to have their own as the choice. On this scale Tinubu would have to make a choice and this is not a religion issue but politics. In Politics, one goes for the number and who will bring those numbers matters in politics.

As a politician with the wealth of experience in the game both Tinubu and Shettima understand when to make a move for the kill and the deed was done. This was when the All Progressive Congress, APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced his running mate in Daura, Katsina State when he (Tinubu) paid Sallah  homage to President Muhammadu Buhari.

There was echo of jubilations and criticisms of the choice of Kashim Shettima as the running mate for APC under the muslim-muslim ticket since then with those opposing to this arrangement coming with bitterness and frustration on a choice they could not have any better person to present and to prove otherwise.

Only today, Christian politicians in the nineteen (19) Northern States within the All Progressives Congress warned of dire consequences of the Muslim-Muslim ticket ahead of the 2023 presidential poll. They were reacting to the Choice of the former Governor of Borno State, and stressing that the country’s unity is of utmost importance and not any other thing. But speaking of unity? I should ask that question again amongst them.

I felt bowed by the complaints making the rounds on this matter of politics. But why should anyone be angry with the choice of Kashim Shettima as running mate for Tinubu under the political cloud? This Muslim- Muslim ticket and the self-imposed fear of some northern Christians have no truth in it to set themselves free.

I know many people will not be comfortable with the position I am taking on this argument and of course, I have taken a position on this matter a long time ago. For those who are criticising Tinubu I asked what would they have done differently as politicians if put on the plate of trials as Nigerians did Tinubu in the buildup for the selection? If the party (APC) looks towards the northeast region to pick a candidate for the running of the office of Vice President from within its fold, which of the Christian candidates in APC has the war chest to such a gargantuan assignment?

I thought of Yakubu Dogara, which many Christians in the northeast are talking about. But truth be told. Where does Dogara stand beyond Bauchi in the northeast region? I thought of Baba Chir Lawan and Boss Mustapha in the politics of APC in the northeast region and my compass would not trace their impact beyond Adamawa state. Who among the Christian politicians in Borno state is standing tall in the party? I wouldn’t talk about Yobe state and the strength of Christians in Taraba state is within the PDP walls. So why angry with the choice of Tinubu over Kashim Shettima who touches on all the states and has his tentacles spread across not only the northeast but northern Nigeria and even beyond?

Some people raised complaints and approached me during the party elections that brought in the Chairman and Vice Chairman North of the party as coming from one religion but I looked surprised because we are talking politics and in politics the scheming is there for anyone. I told them I noticed the observation and asked them to go and join politics first then we can talk about me writing about their observations. That was the end of the matter.

Also Read: 2023: Tinubu, Shettima on the Trail of History

When people who are standing on the fence begin to talk it takes wisdom to dismiss them and I see that in the display by Tinubu and Shettima in the last few days. I think rather than getting angry with the choice of Kashim Shettima as running mate for Tinubu, some people should begin to hide their faces in shame for not building their capacity and that of others. They should blame themselves for not expanding their political garments to accommodate followers and they should stop looking at the religious cloud and take responsibility for their failures to make for themselves what they are now crying wolf about.

Kashim Shettima deserved to be the running mate of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in all fairness and the fear of God in doing what is right. Where are all these people making noise now when Kashim Shettima was making deliberate moves and putting everything he has on the line to ensure the Tinubu candidacy becomes reality? I have followed this beyond reasoning and I could not trace reasons for such unreasonable thought, speeches and utter display of ignorance about truth on political grounds that we are witnessing in our dear country today.

The former Borno state governor and Senator representing Borno Central at the Nigeria’s highest law making body, Kashim Shettima is a politician that understands very well that politics is a game of numbers. He has been working his dreams out to be where he is currently standing and I admire him very much. I challenged anyone in the northeast to bring a better candidate for APC from the northeast whether a Christian or Traditionalist better than Kashim Shettima in the game of politics today.

In as much as I feel and understand the position of the Christian body regarding the choices in APC, I cannot allow such a blanketing and dramatic religiosity to blind the reality that informed the emergence of Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President and Vice President of Nigeria come 2023. For those who are sick with what has happened, politics is about a choice and there are more political parties than APC looking for membership.

Kashim Shettima is not the problem but the problem lies within those who think they can relax when things are happening and talk when reality unfolds. My secondary school motto at Government Science Secondary School in Potiskum reads: ‘You Will Reap, When You Saw.’

2023: Why should anyone be incensed over Shettima’s Choice as Tinubu’s Running Mate?