The presidential flag bearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that Nigerians must choose competence and capacity ahead of ethnicity and religion in their choice of leaders in 2023.
Tinubu said this a statement he personally signed shortly after he announced Kashim Shettima, a serving senator, as his running mate.
Despite the opposition from some quarters to a Muslim/Muslim ticket, Mr Tinubu said he chose Mr Shettima because he believes he “is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians, period, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region.”
He said to forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, Nigerians must break free of old binds.
“We must recalibrate our political calculations to where competence and fairness matter more than reductive demographics,” he said.
This newspaper had earlier reported that Mr Tinubu chose Mr Shettima, a serving senator and two-term governor of Borno State, as his running mate while on a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State.
The former Lagos governor was accompanied on the visit by the Katsina State governor, Bello Masari.
“All my life, my decisions regarding the team around and supporting me have always been guided by the principles of competence, innovation, compassion, integrity, fairness, and adherence to excellence,” Tinubu said
