Kashim Shettima

On December 1, 2022, the Labour Party (LP) held a press conference in Abuja to set off enough fireworks to go around. Among the issues raised, the party’s vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, called out the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its flag bearers, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) and Kashim Shettima.

What did Datti say?

Datti accused BAT of being “indecorous”. That’s a fancy way of saying the BAT lacks class. Here are his words: “A few days ago, the presidential candidate of the APC speaking in Delta State, and referring to our presidential candidate, said it was a disgrace to mention his name. While our candidate is quite comfortable with not being mentioned, it is most unpresidential, indecorous and disrespectful from the candidate who claims his turn at Nigerian Presidency.”

Datti also had words for Shettima whom he congratulated for improving his dressing but scolded for bringing shame to his heritage.

The response was so scathing, it even referenced BAT’s alleged links with narcotics.

“Little wonder that their vice presidential candidate has consistently put to shame the noble heritage of the great Bornu Empire, in his unguarded and uncultured public pronouncements, which expose his intellectual laziness and discomfort with empirical facts and arguments.

“Regular insults, which have now become his trademark, haven’t spared the current vice president whom he directed to go and sell ice cream, or the former vice president whom he described as a pure water seller, a noble venture which serves the populace better than a certain white substance.”

What else did Datti say?

Datti accused the APC of promoting falsehood and discrediting the candidacy of Peter Obi by spreading lies about the former governor demolishing mosques, deporting northerners and being against the production of oil in the North.

He also took digs at the government whom he accused of abandoning its responsibility to safeguard the lives of citizens. Datti referenced the recent assassination of Victoria Chintex, an LP women leader in Kaduna State. He also spoke against the alleged battery and arrest of a student, Aminu Mohammed, over a social media post directed at the first lady, Aisha Buhari.

Has the APC responded?

Not yet. The APC has most recently been on a campaign trail in Bayelsa State. But they’re probably cooking their response. If we know anything about the APC, it’s that they don’t believe in turning the other cheek.

What should we expect?

More fireworks, obviously. Nobody cares that we’re approaching the festive season as things will only get more intense with the February 2023 election looming. We only hope all the dogs in this fight reserve some respect for the peace accord they signed. Political banter is unavoidable but it should only be that — banter. Otherwise, Nigeria could be teetering on the brink of electoral violence. And we definitely don’t want that.

Stephen Agwaibor

December 2, 2022

Citizen

apc, BAT, Datti Baba-Ahmed, Kashim Shettima, Labour Party, Tinubu
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) invited six of Nigeria’s 17 candidates that’ll contest in the 2023 presidential election to its annual conference on August 22nd, 2022.

The candidates used the platform to toast Nigerians and sell themselves as the best things since agege bread.

We learnt some new things about them at the conference.

Tinubu is a busy man

Let’s immediately get it out of the way that the candidate of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, didn’t attend the conference even though it took place only a few minutes from his house.

Maybe he was too busy drawing up his strategy for the millions of youths he plans to draft into his agbado army, or maybe he’s just a late-blooming introvert too shy to show his face in public.

Tinubu sent his running mate, Ibrahim Shettima, to the conference instead and we have to talk about him…

Shettima needs a stylist

Shettima showed up to the NBA conference looking like this:

And the only plausible explanation is that he’s a victim of “What I Ordered vs What I Got.” It’s also possible that Tinubu only told him about the conference last minute, so he only got the chance to hurriedly dress himself at the car park. Either way, we (don’t) sympathise.

Dumebi Kachikwu isn’t a one-minute man

The most basic lesson even a primary school student learns is to always listen to instructions. But the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, is a man that likes to assert himself.

When the MC asked him to give his closing remarks in one minute or less, he protested that it wasn’t enough. The instruction was for him to talk about what he’d do for Nigerians as president, but he kept talking off the script so much that the MC cut him off and moved on to the next candidate.

Atiku wants to make Nigeria… great again?

In his address at the conference, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, advocated for a Nigeria where everyone has a sense of belonging and there’s unity and we’re all singing kumbaya around a fire.

And, according to him, that only ever happened when the government of Olusegun Obasanjo assumed power in 1999. Conveniently, Atiku was his vice president at the time and he thinks Nigerians need to bring back that “experience” in 2023 to rescue the country. According to him, to escape the trenches, we must go back to move forward.

Peter Obi wants to flip a switch

In his address, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, was unforgiving in his assessment of Nigeria as a failed country. And his fix is that Nigeria must make the transition from an insecure country to a secure one, from a disunited country to a united country, from a lawless country to a country of law and order and from a corrupt country to a transparent country.

Obi didn’t clearly outline how he’ll make this happen, so the only assumption is that there’s a switch somewhere waiting to be flipped.

Tinubu wants to recreate the Lagos experience for Nigeria

As Tinubu’s representative at the conference, Shettima proudly announced to everyone that the APC candidate will recreate the Lagos experience for Nigeria. But what’s the Lagos experience? The fourth-largest economy in Africa? Or the home of life-threatening annual floods and an agbero culture that’s become a trademark? Is the Lagos experience a blessing or a threat?

Shettima also promised that a Tinubu presidency will address “ecology” and we’re not sure if that’s a synonym for “unemployment” or the name of a vegetable.

ALSO READ: The 2023 Presidential Campaign Promises We Already Find Laughable

Dumebi Kachikwu will make everyone patriots

The MC gave Kachikwu a second chance to sell himself after his initial stumble and his proposal is to introduce a patriot bill that makes everyone equal.

To make Nigerian leaders care about real issues, he plans to force them to use the same public amenities the average Nigerians use. For instance, his patriot bill forces public officers to travel only by road except in case of emergencies.

His theory is simple: The people who have the power to make Nigeria work would do everything possible to make it happen if it directly affects them and their families.

Adewole Adebayo knows where the money is buried

There’s an unending debate about whether Nigeria is a rich country or in the chokehold of sapa. But the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, believes Nigerian politicians are lying when they say there’s no money on ground. That means our money will grow like grass if he wins?

Also, Adebayo’s strategy to win the election is appealing to Nigerians to change the people they usually vote for. We wonder where we’ve heard that change thing before.

So original

ALSO READ: What Nigeria Can Learn from Kenya About Cutting Politicians’ Salaries

Samson Toromade

August 23, 2022

Citizen

2023 presidential election, ATIKU ABUBAKAR, Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, Peter Obi, Senbanjo
Nigeria has a long shopping list of campaign issues, heading into the 2023 presidential election. Some of the most burning revolve around insecurity, the economy and inflation that’s swelling the price of bread.

But another issue high on that list is the composition of the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Bola Tinubu, who’s a Muslim, picked a fellow Muslim, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate for the election.

Nigeria hasn’t had two Muslim candidates on the same ticket since 1993, so the APC ticket has caused some stir nationwide. Here’s what some prominent voices have said about it:

Edwin Clark — elder statesman

“There’s presently a sharp division in the country, even on religious lines, and all patriots are seeking ways to salvage the situation. Therefore, Alhaji Tinubu’s decision to take a fellow Muslim as his running mate will further worsen the situation in the country. He should know that patriotism is a quality of a good leader.

“There are rumours of an attempt to Islamise the country. Are all these pointers to the confirmation and actualisation of such rumours?”

Festus Keyamo — Minister of State for Labour and Employment

“The government doesn’t exist to assuage the egos of religious leaders, but to bring about development for everyone. There’s no country in the world where history tells us that its development was a result of ‘balanced’ presidential tickets (in terms of religion) over the years. Countries developed as a result of visionary leadership and not because they pandered to some religious sentiments.”

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)

“We have stated it clearly that the situation in the country now is not suitable for a Muslim-Muslim ticket. It’s up to Nigerians to accept or reject.”

ALSO READ: Imposters, Mechanics and Bola Tinubu’s Catholic Bishops

Rotimi Akeredolu — governor of Ondo State

“Muslim-Muslim ticket has nothing to do with performance. Let’s vote for someone that can do something. The work stops at the table of the president. It’s the president that you’re voting for. He decides what happens. Whether it’s a Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket, it shouldn’t matter to us in the South because we fought for this.”

Babachir Lawal — former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)

“Nobody should aspire to be president of this country if he ignores the religious dichotomy in the system. We know that religion is a major factor in this country and it’s a divisive factor. And anybody wishing to lead this country, ought to be concerned that he’s going to kickstart his government in a manner that’s divisive and antagonistic to a certain segment of society.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s Christianity, or Igbo tribe, or Hausa tribe, or Muslims or so on. You are supposed to, first of all, seek to unite the people you intend to rule. Whatever else you will do, without this unity, nobody will appreciate it.”

Elisha Abbo — senator (Adamawa North – APC)

“It’s very irresponsible of Tinubu to take his political survival over the stability and peace of Nigeria. We cannot work for such a man. I’ll oppose a Christian-Christian ticket because I’m invested in the stability of this country. A Christian-Christian ticket will be insensitive to Muslims of this country.

“The country is evenly divided among Muslims and Christians. So any government that’s Muslim-Muslim will be illegitimate and will never gain the respect of Christians.”

Ohanaeze Ndigbo — Igbo socio-cultural group

“Nigeria is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country and any attempt by one religion to dominate the political structure can only widen the gap of mistrust and destroy the delicate sense of tolerance cultivated over the years. The APC has undermined the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians over the years to bridge religious differences and promote ethnic harmonious co-existence.

Pastor Tunde Bakare — former APC presidential aspirant

“We dream of a Nigeria in which every woman, as well as every man, will be able to aspire to any political office at any time without playing the ethnic card and without recourse to, “It’s our turn,” or “It’s their turn.”

“What we need is a New Nigeria that works for every Nigerian, Christian as well as Muslim. Nationhood, rather than divisiveness, must be the objective of every engagement.

“For the Christians in Northern Nigeria who feel marginalised by the choice of a Northern Muslim as running mate, the time has come to upgrade the conversation from politics to governance. The time has come to interrogate the impact of politics on development.”

Youth Wing, Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN)

“We clearly want to emphasise that this isn’t healthy for the highly diversified Nigerian space, especially in the face of the growing and alarming insecurity in our nation at the moment. Any well-meaning presidential candidate will focus on the all-inclusive federal character.

“A Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket insults the sensitivity of Nigerians and the Christian youths are saying a big NO!”

ALSO READ: Who Are the Candidates for the 2023 Presidential Election?

Samson Toromade

July 23, 2022

Citizen

apc, Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, Muslim-Muslim ticket
There’s a balancing act that’s necessary in the politics of a country as diverse as Nigeria. It’s the reason behind written codes like the federal character principle in the constitution and unwritten codes like the controversial zoning of political offices. Many Nigerians agree that balance is important to satisfy as many groups as possible.

But Bola Tinubu isn’t many Nigerians — he’s even shipping a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate caused a stir when he announced former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate.

A presidential ticket in Nigeria should typically have one northerner and one southerner filling the slots for president and vice president. It also helps that one of them is Christian and the other one is Muslim — sorry to the traditionalists and atheists who have zero representation in these permutations.

Tinubu’s departure from this balanced convention has earned him heat from Christian organisations, the opposition and even members of his own party. But because he still needs balance in public perception of his ambition, he’s shopping for prominent Christian support. There was even a made-up story of endorsement from big hitters like Pastor Enoch Adeboye that was later debunked.

But what happens when you can’t secure the Christian endorsement you desperately need to boost your chances? Well, you get as creative and dramatic as possible.

Tinubu’s Red Wedding

When Tinubu officially unveiled Shettima as his running mate at a ceremony on July 20th, 2022, red flags went up all over the place.

Some of the invited guests at the ceremony immediately drew attention for wearing outfits that suggested they were Catholic bishops. Their presence immediately sent up red flags online as it was considered an endorsement of Tinubu’s controversial ticket.

The only problem was no one seemed to recognise them as Christian leaders of any sort. Nigerians were naturally curious about where they came from.

The improper manner some of the “bishops” were dressed suggested they’d only been Catholic bishops for like 30 minutes. It almost felt like they arrived at the venue in their everyday clothes and changed into their wrongly-themed and badly-fit Catholic outfits at the venue.

Fake Bishops that attended Bola Ahmed Tinubu's unveiling of his VP candidate Kassim Shettima caught on camera while dressing 🤣🤣🤣

Follow us now🙏#Staged | Adeboye | Ashawo pic.twitter.com/jFqqRs4TTw
— All Facts Newspaper (@AllFactsNewsNG) July 20, 2022

Journalists at the event were eager to interview them but the “bishops” weren’t feeling very chatty. They maintained a wall of silence and kept waving off invasive questions like, “May we meet you?”, “What’s your name?” and “What’s the name of your church?”

The only person on the team that agreed to speak to a journalist identified himself as Prince. He also introduced himself as the president of the “Muslim and Christian Love Foundation” — which isn’t suspicious at all.

– Moment a journalist tried to interview the “supposed” bishops at the venue of the unveiling of – Kashim Shettima As Tinubu’s Running Mate.

pic.twitter.com/6GNVuRxWiy
— Postsubman (@Postsubman) July 20, 2022

Did the church say Amen?

The Catholic Church immediately announced that it didn’t send any representatives to the event. The church described the “bishops” that showed up there as “imposters” based on the way they dressed and conducted themselves.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) also described the “bishops” as hired mechanics who were given clerical garments. CAN official, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, said it best when he described the whole situation as “another Nollywood movie”.

It didn’t help their case that some of the “bishops” were caught on video changing into regular clothes after the show was over.

Nigeria will never change even at dieing point! Take a look at some of the people hired as bishops to endorse tinubu-shettima as they dress and undress pic.twitter.com/o0ERH4wyAq
— ᴀɴᴅʏ ᴏᴛᴜᴏsᴏʀᴏ🦅 (@AndrewT12060358) July 20, 2022

Who are these people?

The Tinubu campaign has assured everyone that the “bishops” at the event aren’t mechanics or yam sellers as everyone suspects. According to the campaign team, the “bishops” are just not big names in Christian circles yet.

Since he’s struggled to secure the endorsement of A-list clergymen not named Tunde Bakare, Nigerians are supposed to believe Tinubu went to scrap the bottom of the pot for upcoming bishops.

As it stands, no one can positively identify many of these “bishops”. But we found Prince and can confirm he’s sha a pastor of a church somewhere in Abuja:

But he’s also an APC party man:

The bishop episode has further stoked anger about Tinubu’s disrespect for Nigeria’s huge Christian community. His campaign may be able put the scandal to rest by producing a list of names of the “bishops” and the addresses of their churches. But we continue to wait.

Or, since Shettima himself gave a special shoutout to the “30 bishops” during his speech, maybe he can help with that list.

ALSO READ: The 2023 Presidential Campaign Promises We Already Find Laughable

Samson Toromade

July 21, 2022

Citizen

apc, Bola Tinubu, Christian, Kashim Shettima