The choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as APC vice presidential candidate has destabilized the opposition PDP, the ruling party has said.
The APC deputy national publicity secretary, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, disclosed this on Monday, saying the action has put the opposition in disarray.
He described Shettima as the best choice to win the 2023 presidential election, adding that the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had been thrown off balance since the announcement of Shettima, hence the noise and their agony they are expressing.
He said Senator Shettima is a man of knowledge, accomplishment, courage and integrity, who is not given to bigotry, or having corruption charges with any of the anti-corruption agencies.
Mr Ajaka said, “The sterling qualities of our vice presidential candidate, in the person of Senator Kashim Shettima, has once again thrown the opposition parties off-balance. They (PDP and others) would have preferred our presidential candidate to settle for less so as to make it easy for them to win election, but the choice of the trusted and trustworthy Shettima must have disorganised their evil plans
“While we sympathise with the opposition parties, we appeal to Nigerians, who will eventually be the beneficiaries of good governance under Tinubu-Shettima presidency, to see beyond the sentiments of religion and tribe. Both Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are not religious fundamentalists or ultra-Muslims; their records in public office are testimonies to rely on.”
He said Shettima is bringing to the presidential ticket a tons of goodwill and great fortune. He said, “For example, it was Governor Shettima, in the history of Borno, that has sponsored highest number of Christian Pilgrims every year since 2011 till he left office. This and many other records of mutual respect for all faiths are there to verify in Borno State.”
“If Borno State has the largest votes in the North-east where Kashim Shettima has been governor for eight years and now a Senator and still politically relevant; if APC has enjoyed massive support from this state and the entire North-east and the emergence of Shettima as our vice presidential candidate will deny the candidate of the PDP the smooth ride in the zone, I think APC and our presidential candidate are politically correct because our main goal for now is to emerge victorious in the coming elections, not forgetting competence which Senator Kashim Shettima represents,” the APC spox said.
