Vice President Kashim Shettima has labeled political adversaries as fellow contributors to national development while cautioning against what he termed a malicious agenda and misleading accusations directed at President Bola Tinubu.
Shettima spoke on Monday, October 19, in Abuja at an event tagged ‘An Evening with the Original City Boy’, where he defended Tinubu’s political relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The Vice President said Tinubu and Atiku had known each other for years and shared a political history that should encourage mutual respect despite their current differences.
“Our political opponents are not our enemies, they are our co-travellers in nation building,” Shettima said.
“But we won’t turn our other cheek as they’re trying to weave a devilish narrative and dubious aspersion against our principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.
Shettima said Tinubu and Atiku were both mentored by the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, stressing that their longstanding relationship should not be overlooked in the current political climate.
“President Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar have come a long way. Both of them were mentored by the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua,” he said.
The Vice President also recalled Tinubu’s past political support for northern leaders, citing the 2003 presidential election, when he said Tinubu provided the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) for Nuhu Ribadu to contest for the presidency.
Shettima further recalled that Atiku sought political refuge with Tinubu after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007.
“Again, in 2007, when Vice President Atiku Abubakar was harassed, intimidated, dehumanised and chased out of the PDP, he sought refuge in the land of the Bourdillon, who provided him with a platform to contest for the presidency of this country,” he said.
He also credited Tinubu with helping former President Muhammadu Buhari secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket and eventually win the presidency.
“Without the support of Bola Tinubu, our brother late Muhammadu Buhari wouldn’t have emerged as the APC presidential candidate,” Shettima said.
According to him, Buhari’s earlier presidential bids in 2003, 2007 and 2011 were unsuccessful until the political alliance between Tinubu and Buhari brought together support from across the country.
“It was that partnership, that handshake and partnership across the Niger that President Bola Tinubu masterminded that had Muhammadu Buhari elected as president of this country,” he said.
Shettima said his concern with Atiku’s current political posture was that it failed to reflect the longstanding relationship between the former vice president and Tinubu.
“This is the problem I have with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. This gentleman seated here, Bola Tinubu, is his friend, contemporary and brother who deserves to be treated with respect and dignity,” he said.
What You Should Know
Vice President Kashim Shettima has publicly defended President Bola Tinubu against political criticisms, highlighting a long-standing history of political alliance and mentorship between Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. Shettima argued that despite their current political differences, their shared past demands mutual respect rather than hostile rhetoric.
- Positive Impact: Reminds the public of historical political bridges built across the nation, promoting dialogue over toxic rivalry.
- Potential Concerns: Deepens the ongoing political friction between key northern and southern political figures ahead of future electoral alignments.
