Shettima's appointment destabilizes opposition party camps - APC

*NNPC, Peter Obi's assistant reacts

All Progressives Congress National Publicity Assistant Secretary Murtala Ajaka on Monday called on Nigerians to ignore the religious sentiment of opposition parties, saying the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate had destabilized their camps.

It was then that the New Nigeria People's Party warned that lining up Shettima as Tinubu's running mate would be the final nail that would seal the former Lagos State Governor's ambition.

Tinubu had announced the former Governor of Borno State as his running mate after having a closed meeting with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retired), in his Daura residence on Sunday.

The announcement also coincided with the withdrawal of APC replacement Ibrahim Masari, who stepped down earlier as vice-presidential candidate.

Masari, the vice-presidential candidate, has stepped down to pave the way for the name of the vice-presidential candidate to be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission five days before the deadline.

Tinubu, who revealed in his statement on Sunday that he had always been a decisive man, added that he shared the same ideology with party leaders, including Shettima.

In a statement released in Abuja on Monday, the APC deputy secretary assured Nigerians that fear that the party's Muslim-Muslim ticket was being nurtured in some quarters existed only in the imagination of the party. opposed.

Describing Shettima as a man of knowledge and courage, Ajaka revealed that the opposition parties, especially the People's Democratic Party, were unbalanced and still reeling from Shettima's choice by Tinubu.

He said: "The excellent qualities of our vice-presidential candidate, in the person of Senator Kashim Shettima, have once again destabilized the opposition parties. They (PDP and others) would have preferred that our presidential candidate is content at least in order to make it easier for them to win the elections (God forbid), but choosing the trustworthy and trustworthy Shettima must have disrupted their diabolical plans, we understand them in the APC.

“As we sympathize with the opposition parties, we call on Nigerians, who will eventually be the beneficiaries of good governance under the presidency of Tinubu-Shettima, to see beyond sentiments of religion and tribe. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are neither religious fundamentalists nor ultra-Muslims, their records in public office are testimonies to rely on.

"As Governor of Borno State for two terms, Shettima enjoyed the support of the Christian community throughout his tenure. In fact, the Borno Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN ) testified that "in the history of Borno State, no governor has been so fair to the Christian community as Governor Kashim Shettima".

“For example, it was Governor Shettima in Borno history who sponsored the most Christian pilgrims every year from 2011 until he left office. other documents of mutual respect for all faiths are there to be verified in Borno State."

Ajaka said the APC and its presidential candidate will not be distracted from the goal of winning the 2023 general election at all levels.

“If Borno State has the most votes in the North East where Kashim Shettima was governor for 8 years and now a senator and still politically relevant, if the APC has had overwhelming support of this state and all of the North East and the emergence of Shettima as our running mate will rob the PDP candidate of the right path in the area, I think the APC and our presidential candidate are politically correct because our main objective at the moment is to emerge victorious from the next elections, without forgetting the competence that Senator Kashim Shettima represents.”

Reacting to the allegation, the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People's Party, Major Agbo, said no serious candidate should be afraid of Shettima.

According to him, the candidate for vice-president of the APC is a well-known person who has no form of credibility.

"Shettima's choice is not a problem for any serious politician in this country. These people are just looking for something to hang on to in order to survive. The APC knows that their situation is getting worse. Shettima's choice has made make it easier for the rest of us, especially my party, because of his track record. His track record is cause for concern.

"Recall that the Governor who ceded to him accused him in 2017 of being the main sponsor of Boko Haram. It was all over the media. His choice as running mate is the last nail in the coffin of the APC. We don't see it as a threat or anything to worry about," he said.

Efforts made to obtain reaction from spokespersons for the People's Democratic Party and the Lab...