The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has submitted the name of Senator Kashim Shettima to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as his running mate.
Truetells Nigeria reports that this has dashed the hopes of several Nigerians and party members wishing he would reconsider his stance on the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket by replacing the former Governor of Borno State.
The name of Shettima was reportedly submitted to INEC on Thursday by the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
Speaking to The PUNCH, Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said it would be unwise for the former Lagos State Governor to drop Shettima due to the grievances of some people.
He said: “That is not possible. We have seen this move before; all these campaigns to pit us against fellow Nigerians. It happened in 1993, and the result was clear. There was pressure from several quarters for (MKO) Abiola to drop (Babagana) Kingibe because of his Muslim background.”
“What we should be looking at is not religion but competence of the candidate to deliver and take the country to a greater height. They will soon realise that. As I said earlier, there is no likelihood of our presidential candidate dropping Shettima. He has selected him, and Shettima will remain. He is a cool candidate. Either of them can be a President,” Onanuga insisted.
Truetells Nigeria reports that Shettima was supposed to be unveiled by the APC as the running mate to Bola Tinubu at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.
However, the unveiling could not occur after the APC National Chairman Abdullahi asked for it to be postponed.
The chairman reportedly postponed the ceremony to enable the party to fix some neglected parts of the complex.
“The chairman felt a high profile event like that should hold in a befitting office under befitting conditions. That was why the event was postponed,” a source told the Nation.