Former Borno State Governor and one of the promoters of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition, Senator Kashim Shettima has faulted the reaction of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, to Tinubu’s recent comments during one his campaign speeches in Abeokuta.
Shettima noted that Tinubu played a pivotal role, not only in the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari, but in the elections in 2015.
Shettima in a video interview confirmed that the statement credited to the presidential aspirant was deliberately distorted and quoted out of context.
In his reaction to a statement credited to Tinubu while addressing Ogun state APC delegates at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, last Thursday, Babachir described Tinubu’s comment as bullshit.
“Tinubu was not the only person that made the difference, there were many others who supported Buhari and never bragged about it. Sometimes it is very difficult to support a Yoruba person in national politics if you are not one…” Babachir had said.
But Shettima stressed: “it’s not a question of dispute, but a question of time. He has paid the price and in Abeokuta, he made some remarks, which were deliberately distorted and quoted out of context. This is something that I have been saying repeatedly because those that have nothing to show want us to go low.
“Honestly, we are not interested in having conversations or altercations with the mundane; we want to have genuine conversation on how to move this nation forward. Whether Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s opponents like it or not, whether they are willing to admit it or not, he played a pivotal role, not only in the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the APC, but in the election in 2015.”
He took a swipe at his kinsmen who are casting aspersion on Tinubu, saying that what the aspirant said had been said at different for a. “Out of sheer mischief, they have gone to town with the story that Asiwaju is claiming to have been instrumental in the election of President Buhari Comment is free but facts are sacred.
“In 2011 Presidential election, President Buhari, who was the CPC candidate polled 2,689 votes in Ekiti State, he got 17,654 votes in Ogun State, he got 6,997 votes in Osun State. Juxtapose the performance of the president in 2011 with his performance in 2015.
He got 308,290 votes in Ogun, 383,603 votes in Osun and 120,133 votes in Ekiti State. Facts do not lie.
“In 2003, 2007, and 2011, despite his vote in the north, we couldn’t get through, it was this alliance, this partnership, this handshake
across the Niger that brought forth Buhari’s presidency. Just because you heard a person, you shouldn’t demonise such a person; he has paid his price and he deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. That’s our own position. In 2015, President Buhari got 15,424,921 votes against the 12,853,100 votes obtained by former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Shettima stressed that the difference between the two contenders was a mere 2.5 million votes. “How many votes did we get from the Southwest, plus Edo State, we got 2.64 million votes, that’s what helped to win the election.
“Let me tell you a story, prior to the period, a famous traditional ruler in the North and his colleagues met with Asiwaju. They told Asiwaju that Buhari is not for us; don’t support him in our own name. Subsequently a group of retired army generals also approached this gentle man that we are not with Buhari.
“A group of intellectuals from the northern establishment, led by a professor, equally approached Asiwaju and told him – not in our name, we are not with Buhari. Again, from his homes state – Katsina, they came to him and say look he’s one of us, he’s from Katsina, but we are not with him.”
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