Presidency: Why Tinubu and Kashim Shettima’s partnership will continue beyond 2027

Dr. James BWALA

Some politicians and their calculations of events, incidents, and expectations leading to the 2027 presidential elections have so far exposed their wicked agenda against the Tinubu-Shettima partnership and the recreation of good governance in Nigeria. History has recorded beautiful scenarios that this administration has brought to play in changing the old narratives of governance in Nigeria. And we have seen these numerous plays, from the dollar narratives to market trading and the ideas of price control. Tinubu and Shettima’s table of governance has been full of ideas, and the partnerships have been supportive of mutual respect. But evil hunters in the political domain would always prefer the idea of scattering the table to put leaders afar just to gain their mutually conceived and derailing ideas into play.

It is laughable to compare reasons for Tinubu’s needs as Governor of Lagos State when he replaced Kofoworola Bucknor as Deputy Governor with Femi Pedro in 2002, who served with him until 2007. That was Lagos, and this is Nigeria, for which the ground and outlook are miles apart and the North is not against itself. For sometimes, some politicians in the game of Troy have fashioned for themselves a belief on the contrary to Mr. President’s thinking towards achieving many goals he had been working alongside his vice president to achieve and make history not only for Nigeria but also for themselves.

Never in the history of Nigeria have the two first families been seen coming together from the days of struggling to power to governance, as demonstrated by the Tinubu and the Shettima families. Long before now, the two leaders had built a relationship of trust and respect that fortified their wine of understanding despite forces from within and outside the party they are leading today. The calls from such separatists did not start today, and nothing they do can amount to this administration losing focus on giving over two hundred million Nigerians the desired dividends of democracy, and neither Tinubu nor Kashim Shettima are losing focus on their promises to Nigeria.

The idea they are circulating on social media for 2027 and the possibility of the vice president being replaced by Kwankwaso from the Northwest by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a fabrication of their own imagination. Who are those powerful people around Tinubu who got his mind on what they were trying to sell on social media? And what also do they know about the discussions Tinubu and Kashim Shettima are having when they meet behind closed doors to share their views on governance? 

The NNPP presidential aspirant, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has made it crystal clear during his campaign that he cannot be VP to anyone given his pedigree and belief in the political circle, even at a time when he has a better opportunity to bargain with the APC. Despite the outcome of the 2023 general election and the crowd he seemed to have pulled for the NNPP, the Ganduje factor still speaks loud even as of today. And politics in Kano has many faces, which has recorded a time when great politicians have failed to deliver even the Almighty Kwankwasiya movement. As such, Kwankwaso, even though he is not speaking publicly, can have an effect on the Tinubu and Kashim Shettima relationship and partnership in leading Nigeria to the Promise Land.

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I believe these mischief makers are already putting Tinubu and Kashim Shettima’s administration on trial, as they did promise to do so both in court and in public opinion. The court case that the former governor of Kano State and National Chairman of the APC is having has nothing to do with the presidency and the administration of Tinubu and Kashim Shettima except that Ganduje belongs to the APC family and holds a vintage position in the party. These criminals in political circles are trying to pin the case on the party or the presidency to the effect that they are claiming that the move to dethrone Ganduje was equally a move to replace Kashim Shettima as VP in 2027.

The 2027 presidential election will come and go like any other election before it, and we shall be witnesses to the fact of history that the Tinubu and Kashim Shettima administration have recorded, which shall speak for them in the deciding factor. No one, either in person or group, can change the destiny of Tinubu’s golden boy.

** James BWALA, PhD writes from Abuja

Presidency: Why Tinubu and Kashim Shettima’s partnership will continue beyond 2027

Borno: Why would an NGO sponsor a fire outbreak in IDP camps?

By: Dr. James BWALA

Although the commissioner for information in Borno State refused to mention in his statement those NGOs trying to malign the Zulum administration’s efforts towards the internally displaced people, IDP, a video in circulation with the confession of one of the arrested suspects alleges that an international INGO with the name ALIMA and others are behind the numerous fire outbreaks being experienced at various IDP camps across the state lately. 

It could be recalled that on one of his outings, to support the IDPs in Borno, the governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, received hurtful news of such experiences that made him lose it. But I ask again: why would an NGO sponsor a fire outbreak in IDP camps? A statement reads:

PUBLIC NOTICE ON SUSPECTED CASES OF FIRE INCIDENCES IN IDP CAMPS IN BORNO STATE 

The Borno State Government has received situation reports (SITREPs) from reliable sources regarding suspected cases of fire outbreaks in some IDP camps within the state. This recent rise in the frequency of infernos in IDP camps has been a matter of concern, and all hands are on deck to forestall any further occurrence of fire outbreaks in the state. The government has been investigating the occurrence of the infernos on a case-by-case basis, with a view to establishing the remote and extant causes and developing a strategy to stem future occurrences.

On March 29, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Internal Security received a report in which a suspect admitted that he and his “co-conspirators” were “hired” by some NGOs (names withheld) to set IDP camps on fire. This matter is under investigation, and further necessary action shall only be taken on the basis of the outcome of the investigation. Those arrested are in detention undergoing intensive interrogation, while the NGOs who were pinpointed in the alleged violent practice have been summoned for preliminary interrogation.

The government assures members of the public that this matter will receive appropriate and expedited attention, and any culprit will be dealt with according to the law. 

Meanwhile, members of the public are urged to be calm, peaceful, and law-abiding. Any breach of security should be reported to the nearest law enforcement agency or traditional rulers for transmission to the relevant authority.

*Announcer*

Prof. Usman Tar,

Honourable Commissioner, 

Ministry of Information and Internal Security, Borno State

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I have worked in a camp while working with some INGOs in Maiduguri, sometimes before returning to the field as a journalist. I can say without mincing words that some INGOs can do everything possible to keep their jobs. However, I am pained by such a move at the detriment of the efforts and support of the people of Borno State and Governor Babagana Umara Zulum. If there are such NGOs, they must be exposed! 

The government of Borno State and its resilient people have suffered enough in the last 13 years of insurgency. It is not a palatable experience for the governor to be moving from one point to another, trying to see that his people are met with the needed support and shelter after having fled their homes in the wake of the death harvest by agents of darkness. Governor Zulum has become a touring governor on mines fields with sweat-sucked clothes, trying to reach out to the needy across the landmines field. As such, he does not deserve this sabotaging move by the organization, which should also come to help as well.

The suspect, who made mention of the names of INGOs sponsoring the outbreak of fire in IDP, should be thoroughly investigated because some are also alleging that he could have actually been under duress to mention the names of some organization as a result of the beating he received. If at all that was the case, these partners alledgedly in crime can be acquitted; otherwise, they actually should not have a place to operate in the state or anywhere else on Nigeria’s soil because the need for them is to help our people and not to add salt to injury in a place where deaths mounted.

James BWALA, PhD, writes from Abuja.

Borno: Why would an NGO sponsor a fire outbreak in IDP camps?

Army University Biu: When Governor Zulum Visits President Tinubu

By: Dr. James BWALA

Those who smuggled the issue of the merger of the Nigerian Army University Biu and the Nigeria Defense Academy in the Steve Oronsaye report can now hide their faces in shame because their plans to deflate the education of the Borno children and indeed children of Nigeria through mischief have failed. 

Those who also blamed our leaders for the shared political landscape on the matter can now see the truth, as it is written with the visit to the Aso Rock villa by our governor to plead on behalf of the state to save it’s struggle on ensuring education for our tomorrow’s children.

In a society like ours, where people believed more on rumour and hearsay in prevailing circumstances, I felt ashamed when I looked at the level of education we all claimed to have vis-à-vis our attitudes, and I chose to stand with the understanding I constantly preached on happenings and leadership from the mirror as I viewed it. I thank God that despite certain interest in seeing people like me as paid pipers, the truth of what I always hang on has vindicated me on many occasions, just as this one.

Army University Biu: When Governor Zulum Visits President Tinubu

Borno is the home of Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, and it is now very strategic for political conflicts, just as Lagos would stand various political misunderstandings for any move made by the Tinubu, Kashim Shettima administration. Therefore, when the issue of the Steve Oronsaye report came on and some characters began to shape in their nature to put leaders in a crossfire, I understood that for such earlier criticisms, it was all about the politics and its dragons.

Now, President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Borno State Government to submit a memorandum on plans to convert the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State, into a regular university. The implementation of the Orosanye Report, which was recently adopted by the federal government, proposed that the Nigerian Army University be subsumed into the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) as a faculty.

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But the Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, had argued against the plan right from when it was announced and made further moves to stop it on Friday by meeting with President Tinubu to suggest the exploration of other options. Speaking to journalists at the State House, Abuja, after meeting with President Tinubu, Governor Zulum revealed that the federal government was open to considering the alternative of converting the institution to a regular university under the Federal Ministry of Education.

Zulum said, “I saw Mr. President on the issue of Army University Biu, because recently, there was a communication from the presidency that some institutions would be merged according to the Oronsoye report. The government and people of Borno State have hailed this great initiative. It is a very good one. But, however, we have pleaded with Mr. President to reconsider the issue of the Army University merger with the Nigeria Defense Academy.

“Southern Borno State is a very important region, not only in Borno State but also in the entire country. There are a huge number of children that are willing to study, and they don’t have any federal universities in the zone. Once this army university is merged with NDA, we may encounter a huge number of out-of-school children as a result of the absence of a university in that part of the state. The most important thing is that the President has listened to me, and he has agreed to review the matter, inshallah,” he noted.

With the new information, I hope that the people who took it personally to think that no action is taken by the Borno state government since the announcement by the Steve Oronsaye report can convince themselves to many reports flying around on the visit to Mr. President by Professor Babagana Umara Zulum and the fruit of the meeting, and indeed, as he (Zulum) said, the institution serves a large population from Southern Borno whose chances of getting a tertiary education are in jeopardy.

James BWALA, PhD, writes from Abuja.

Army University Biu: When Governor Zulum Visits President Tinubu