Why I chose Shettima as running mate — Tinubu

Published

4 years ago

July 10, 2022

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The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, on Sunday in Daura, disclosed that he chose former Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate because he is “competent and reliable”.

He also claimed that the APC has a better programme for the country and is ready to serve.

Tinubu said this shortly after he visited the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at his Daura home in Katsina State.

Speaking shortly after a closed-door session with the President, he explained why he chose Shettima as running mate saying, “I chose him because he is competent, capable and reliable.”

On the purpose of his visit, he said “We came to pay homage to him (Buhari) and to share part of his holiday and lunch. And to discuss the question of my substantive running mate .

“The one we put in as placement has withdrawn today. There has been an announcement to replace him fully with a substantive candidate, Kashim Shettima.”

Asked about his party’s chances in next year’s presidential elections, the former Lagos State governor said, “We are going to win Insha Allah. Because we are a progressive party. We have the focus on the Nigerian problems and we face the challenge squarely and we’re not running away from it. We have a better programme for the people and about the people and we are ready to serve.

“Within a short period, there’s been a strong foundation on infrastructure. We faced a challenge of terrorism we know that. It’s only a poor thinker and observer who will not recognize the challenge. But once you recognize the challenge, you can prepare yourself very well to tackle it and defeat it. And that is what our party is all about.”

Earlier on Sunday, the placeholder for the position of running mate to the APC presidential candidate, Ibrahim Masari, announced his resignation to the party.

In a letter he signed and addressed to members of the APC Masari said, “This is to inform our esteemed party leaders under our able President, Muhammadu Buhari, teeming party members and the great people of Nigeria, of the outcome of a crucial discussion I just had with the flagbearer of our great party, the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“I had the singular honour and privilege of being nominated as the running mate to Asiwaju Tinubu last month after a keenly contested presidential primary ahead of the 2023 general election.

“But, after much reflection and wider consultations, I now wish to step down. I realised that my decision will enable Asiwaju to have more latitude to give more accommodation and inclusion that will position our party to win the coming elections, with the support of the people of Nigeria.

“In stepping down, I believe I can still serve our party and the country in several other capacities.

“I wish to confirm that I have submitted my withdrawal letter and affidavit to that effect as the vice-presidential candidate to Asiwaju Bola TInubu in the coming elections.”

Tinubu’s statement on his choice of Shettima:

Statement by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential Flag Bearer of the All Progressives Congress on his Choice of the Vice Presidential Candidate. July 10, 2022.

1. Fellow Nigerians, we enter a moment of renewed hope. We hold the chance to move the nation and our collective cause forward as never before. Let us seize this moment so that history may write kindly of us.
2. It is time to focus with utmost devotion and love of country to do all we can do to advance the ideals of democratic and progressive good governance in the land.
3. We must end poverty and bring greater prosperity and more lasting peace. Let us be wise of thought yet courageous in action, as we embark on a collective enterprise that brings jobs, education, food, medicine, hope and belief in a better life to those who need them.
4. I stand ready to begin this journey with you, hopefully, to lead the nation on this needed path as your next President by the grace of God. I believe this is a pivotal moment at which the dynamics of history and destiny call us forth to reshape our beloved nation. This is our moment.
5. We all must answer the nation’s call. For some, this requires of us that we step forward, assuming new roles and responsibilities. For others, it may mean something else. For all of us, it requires that we dedicate ourselves to the collective national task as never before.
6. To re-envision and reshape the nation, I must compose the best team possible, a team put together with but one overriding purpose: to forever establish just, capable, and compassionate governance for the people of Nigeria without regard to religion, region, or ethnic origin.
7. In the weeks since becoming the presidential candidate and standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I have been touched as Nigerians from all walks of life have demonstrated their faith in my capacity to lead this country. I thank you for the outpourings of support for they reveal to me the hope you hold for this nation’s greatness. As long as we walk together and work together, we shall arrive at our national greatness together. To this glad and great endeavour, I fully devote myself and my future labour.
8. In full compliance with existing law and regulation, I submitted all necessary documents regarding my nomination as the APC presidential candidate to INEC. But, as was expected, the choice of my vice presidential running mate remained an open and burning question.
9. This gave rise to much speculation and debate.
10. Recent events [the voluntary withdrawal of my dear friend and brother Ibrahim Masari] mean that I am called upon, today, to put an end to the speculation.
11. I have never been an indecisive man and have no present intention to become one.
12. What I am, however, is a democrat. And a democrat must listen to, and consult with, the people and his advisors so that he may reform and govern wisely and on their behalf. This I have done. My political career was not built on blind indifference to the views of others. I appreciate the perspectives of leading members of the party, political allies and key national figures who see Nigeria’s future as I do. They gave me their views so that I might add their valuable insights to mine to reach the best decision possible and do so in a manner that strengthens the institutional fabric of our party as well as accelerating the evolution of our political democracy.
13. I am also a founding member of the APC. I hold our party’s core principles close to heart such that I shall do nothing to betray the spirit in which the party was created.
14. Having now listened to the sage, careful advice of a broad section of the party and of the nation, there are a few points I feel I must make about the exceptional and extraordinary person with whom I will share the APC ticket and the principles of open and good governance that informed this choice.
15. A dominant theme of my political history and my personal life is my staunch belief in our diversity. Greatness lies in embracing our diversity and making it work to enhance the dynamism and justice of our political system. My selection of a running mate comports entirely with this longstanding inclination.
16. The concurrence of my party in this matter has been a source of comfort and encouragement. We are truly building a progressive party that not only represents a departure from other political parties but one that truly may well be the best hope for democratic good governance in Nigeria.
17. I realize the momentous times we have entered. I know what lies in the balance. I also know that our political choices and activities send both intended and unintended signals to portions of the Nigerian electorate.
18. 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.
19. When I was Governor of Lagos State, these principles helped me assemble one of the most capable governing cabinets any state or this nation has ever seen. I trust enough in these principles to allow them to, once more, guide me to construct another exemplary team that can do Nigeria proud.
20. Second, this chapter in our country’s history demands a bold yet pragmatic approach, a path already chartered by the progressive ethos of the APC. The foundation for sustainable progress has been laid these past seven years by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The challenges of today are consequential because the lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians lie in the balance. Visionary and creative leadership will take us to our goal.
21. Our focus, therefore, must be on getting the job done; and that means getting the very best and competent people to do it. In this crucial moment, where so much is at stake, we must prioritize leadership, competence, and the ability to work as a team over other considerations.
22. I am mindful of the energetic discourse concerning the possible religion of my running mate. Just and noble people have talked to me about this. Some have counselled that I should select a Christian to please the Christian community. Other have said I should pick a Muslim to appeal to the Muslim community. Clearly, I cannot do both.
23. Both sides of the debate have impressive reason and passionate arguments supporting their position. Both arguments are right in their own way. But neither is right in the way that Nigeria needs at the moment. As president, I hope to govern this nation toward uncommon progress. This will require innovation. It will require steps never before taken. It will also require decisions that are politically difficult and rare.
24. If I am to be that type of President, I must begin by being that type of candidate. Let me make the bold and innovative decision not to win political points but to move the nation and our party’s campaign closer to the greatness that we were meant to achieve.
25. Here is where politics ends, and true leadership must begin.
26. Today, I announce my selection with pride because I have made it not based on religion or to please one community or the other. I made this choice because I believe this 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.
27. May I say this to all of you, especially to those who will be disappointed in my selection based on religious considerations. I will not and cannot ignore the religious concerns and ethnic sensitivities of our people. Taking them into due consideration is an important part of good and able governance. But religion, ethnicity and region cannot always and fully determine our path. To forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, we must break free of old binds. We must recalibrate our political calculations to where competence and fairness matter more than reductive demographics.
28. This is why, today, I announce the selection of SENATOR KASHIM SHETTIMA as my partner and running mate in the mission to advance and reclaim the fortunes of this great country and the hopes of its people.
29. Senator Kasim Shettima’s career in politics and beyond shows that he is eminently qualified not only to deliver that all important electoral victory, but, also, step into the shoes of the Vice President. As a man with the talent, maturity, strength of character, and patriotism he has my implicit confidence and faith.
30. I am aware that many will continue focus on a particular detail, the question of his faith.
31. However, if we truly understand the challenges upon us a nation, then we must also see the imperative of placing competence in governance above religious sentiment.
32. In 1993, Nigerians embrace Chief MKO Abiola and a fellow Muslim running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe in one of our fairest elections ever held.
33. The spirit of 1993 is upon us again in 2023.
34. As such, the ticket we present today represents a milestone in our political history. It symbolizes our party’s determination to be a leading light among political parties in Africa.
35. The democratic process and the decorum that characterised our presidential primaries and the selection of our vice presidential candidate exemplifies why we are the party of the people and of the betterment of their future. With this selection the All Progressives Congress surely shall continue to be the party that shows the way and carries this nation towards its best future. I implore you all to join with me on this journey to a brighter future.

Signed.
Asiwaju Bola A. Tinubu,
APC Presidential candidate

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NDLEA seizes N3.4bn Loud, Opium, arrests fake police officer, mechanic

Published

7 hours ago

September 20, 2026

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids as well as 6,000kg of cannabis worth over N3.4 billion in combined street value.

The successes were recorded in a series of operations across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, said the agency also arrested a suspected fake police officer, a mechanic allegedly using his workshop as a drug storage facility and three young suspects found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a pistol and ammunition.

According to Babafemi, the operatives intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.

The operation, he said also led to the arrest of 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe, who was allegedly transporting 292.48kg of skunk in a silver Toyota Sienna bus along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, on Wednesday, September 16.

According to the NDLEA, Ekpe had allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to evade security checks while transporting illicit drugs across state lines.

The agency said, “Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments.”

A 39-year-old accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested during the operation.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a location on Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.

The agency said Ossai “used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs.”

Officers recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152g of methamphetamine and a metal box used to store the illicit substances.

At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived on September 12, was placed under intensive monitoring following intelligence received by NDLEA operatives.

The shipment was subjected to a joint physical examination with Customs and other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16.

The agency said, “The search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms, concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded within two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container.”

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area, arrested Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18, on Tuesday, September 15.

The suspects were allegedly found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.

Also in Niger State, NDLEA officers on Friday, September 18, arrested Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, along the Abaji-Abuja highway.

More than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets were recovered from the suspects.

The agency said the drugs were “concealed in eight sacks en route from Onitsha, Anambra state to Mararaba, Nasarawa state.”

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on Friday, September 18, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg.

Seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were also intercepted at a logistics company, with a suspect, Luke Ugokwe, taken into custody.

In another operation in Lagos, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apogbon on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.

In Gombe State, 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, who were arrested separately at the Barunde area and Gombe main market on Friday, September 18.

In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday.

Meanwhile, four suspects identified as Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State.

The operation also led to the destruction of 5,000kg of skunk, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects.

While commending the officers and personnel of the affected commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the operations.

Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the agency’s approach to drug control.

He said they should “continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”

News

Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: NDC dissociates itself from 59-member presidential campaign council unveiled by Obi-Kwankwaso movement

Published

12 hours ago

September 20, 2026

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1. The leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has distanced itself from the 59-member presidential campaign council constituted by OK Movement, a support group for Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the party, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

In a statement on Saturday, Cleopas Moses, NDC national chairman, said the list did not emanate from the party and should be disregarded.

2. Former Senior Special Assistant Media and Publicity to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, said yesterday that the litigation instituted against Nigeria by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal in Paris was doomed from the outset.
Garba, who personally attended the January 15, 2025 sitting of the tribunal in the French capital, said it was clear from day one that Sunrise and its promoter Leno Adesanya “would lose this case following the failure of all the witnesses they invited, including, of course, a beautiful lady from Senegal allegedly providing comfort to one of their government contacts.

3. The Presidency yesterday knocked back economic proposals by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It asked him to take the proposals to Nigerians on his campaign trail rather than seeking to dictate how President Bola Tinubu should govern the country.

4. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has forecast a high risk of riverine flooding across 15 states between September 19 to 25.
In its national flood advisory issued on Friday, the agency said rising river levels could trigger flooding in communities located on floodplains during the seven-day period.
The affected states are Imo, Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers, Edo, Kogi, Taraba, Delta, Bayelsa, Enugu and Abia.

5. Delta State Police Command has arrested a suspect after its personnel intercepted a vehicle conveying military camouflage uniforms, boots and hats, as well as cartons of suspected Tramadol and other illicit drugs. The vehicle, a green Toyota Sienna with registration number KP 527 AAA, was intercepted by operatives of the command’s Anti-Cult Unit, Asaba, along the Onitsha-Ondo route on Friday.

6. Police in Rivers State have begun an investigation into the killing of a father of four, Kamadioye Krama, by gunmen in Emulation community, Abua/Odual Local Government Area. The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident, stating that an investigation was ongoing to apprehend the culprits and bring them to book.

7. President Bola Tinubu has said that, from October 1, commuters across Nigeria must begin to see measurable reductions in transportation fares, as he has directed all 36 states to accelerate the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme. In a statement personally signed and released on Saturday, September 19, Tinubu said the push followed his August 27 meeting with state governors.

8. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has deployed Abdulhamid Kabara as the new commandant of its Niger State Command following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in custody. Kabara replaces Suberu Aniviye, who was suspended as Niger NSCDC commandant after the 37 suspects died in Minna, the state capital, on Thursday.

9. The Northern Senators Forum on Saturday called for an immediate, transparent and independent investigation into the deaths of 37 young Nigerians in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Minna, Niger State. It described the circumstances surrounding the occurrence as “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”

10. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has suspended the Niger State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Suberu Aniviye, and 20 other officers following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the Corps’ custody. The officers were suspended pending the outcome of an independent investigation into the deaths, which occurred on Thursday, September 17, 2026. The Ministry of Interior announced the development in a statement signed by Tunji-Ojo on Saturday

News

Keyamo, Sunday Dare knock Atiku for addressing President Tinubu as ‘Bola’

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2026

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The minister of aviation, Festus Keyamo, and the special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and public communication, Sunday Dare, have criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for referring to the President as “Bola”.

Keyamo described Atiku’s use of Tinubu’s first name as “disrespectful and discourteous”.

“The continuous reference to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by His Excellency, ex Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in his press conference earlier today as ‘Bola’ is very disrespectful and discourteous,” he wrote on X.

He said Atiku should recognise that the office of the president deserves to be accorded dignity despite political differences.

“He should know better that no matter your differences with Mr. President, for the sake of the country, that office should be accorded all the dignity it deserves,” Keyamo said.

Keyamo also described the tone of Atiku’s remarks as reflecting “pain and bitterness”, while referring to the former vice-president’s recent comment about Tinubu’s age.

“After all, he made the outlandish claim the other day that Mr. President is older than himself. It is therefore a contradiction that he would also refer to an ‘elder’ by his first name,” he said.

Also, Dare, in a post on X on Saturday, reacted to Atiku’s call for Tinubu to reduce petrol and electricity costs.

Atiku had on Friday asked Tinubu to use the remaining eight months of his administration to reduce the burden of petrol and electricity costs on households, workers and businesses.

He said the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023 had contributed to higher transportation, food, logistics and energy costs. He also warned against phasing out electricity subsidies without addressing the impact on households and businesses.

Dare described Atiku’s manner of addressing the president as “the height of insolence”, accusing the former vice-president of political desperation.

“Alhaji Atiku’s manner of addressing President Bola Tinubu as Bola is the height of insolence. It is a clear descent into the abyss of unbridled desperation and an unraveling mind,” Dare wrote.

“To seek to lecture a sitting president with the unbridled insolence of dropping his first name, petulantly barking instructions, and dictating how governance should be run within a truncated timeline is the height of political hubris.”

Dare defended the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, saying the president was undertaking reforms to address structural problems in the economy.

Dare also questioned Atiku’s criticism of government intervention in the economy.

“Atiku’s sudden conversion to the gospel of interventionism rings hollow,” he said.

He accused Atiku of using Nigerians’ economic difficulties for political purposes ahead of the 2027 elections.

“This is a desperate strategy by a perennial seeker of power who weaponizes transient national discomforts for electoral mileage,” Dare added.

“Nigerians do not need lectures on fiscal management from a political wanderer whose decades-long pursuit of the presidency has been defined by perpetual opportunism.”