Tinubu chose Shettima because he fits the bill – Senator Abdullahi Admamu

The National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, says Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has chosen to walk the path of great Nigerians like late MKO Abiola in picking Sen. Kashim Shettima, as his running mate for the 2022 presidential election.

He said this in Abuja on wednesday at the unveiling of Sen. Kashim Shettima, a former two-term governor of Borno state as Tinubu’s running mate.

“It is now time for the APC to step out to the public space with one of its best.
“Since the presidential candidate of our party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, announced the choice of his running mate on July 11, the nation is yet to know who he is, we welcome this opportunity to unveil him.

“As the national chairman of our party, it is both my honour and duty to unveil this distinguished son of our country and formally present him to this august body and through it, the Nigerian public,” Adamu said.

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Adamu opined that he suspects there is an attraction between the Yoruba and Kanuri people as MKO Abiola also chose a Kanuri man to serve as his running mate in his time. He said Tinubu has used his wealth to help the needy, so he can be trusted to run an effective administration.

“We are beginning to suspect there must be some synergy between the Yoruba people and the Kanuri people.

“Maybe there is a mutual attraction between them that the rest of us do not know, never mind, we will put the searchlight on them,” he said.

“He has used his wealth to bring succour to the needy, he can be trusted to run an inclusive government in which character, competence and vision matter to his administration.

“Our party has produced a candidate who is accepted by all zones in our country, he enjoys the trust of every strata in our national socio-economic structure.

“We are confident that Nigerians will entrust him with the leadership of our country in 2023. We offer our gratitude to Nigerians for the continued trust they repose on the APC.

“In our political tradition, the choice of a running mate is the exclusive right of the presidential candidate,” Adamu said.

“At this time in our national development, and given the myriads of our national challenges, we should look for men and women of character, competence and demonstrable evidence of their performance in public or private offices.

“We believe these informed Tinubu’s decision to select Shettima because he fits the bill.

“Shettima brings to the joint ticket impressive antecedents as a political leader and administrator, Tinubu could not have made a better choice of a running mate.

“He chose a man he believes can partner with him to undertake the urgent task of our economic recovery as well as social and political development in peace and security,” he said.

Adamu said that Shetima is also fully aware of security issues in Nigeria, as he has experienced it first hand, how regardless of when boko haram was at its peak and bullets were flying everywhere, he still made sure he was providing for his people.

Adamu said it is in the best interest of the presidential candidate to pick a running mate that adequately meets the standard, and if pettiness or bitterness should come in without seeing the bigger picture, that will be an obstacle to victory.

“Shettima is not a stranger to the security challenges confronting our dear country going by his personal and first hand experiences with Boko Haram while they were at the peak of their operations in Borno.

“He has earned his right to a higher political office, he must now move up the ladder of our national service as the next Vice-Presidential of Nigeria.

“The unveiling of the Vice-Presidential candidate today sends out a strong signal to the country that our great party is ready and united around the common cause of coasting home with victory at every level in 2023.

“But we must not be unmindful of the hurdles ahead, it is time to purge ourselves of the bitterness arising from our individual losses in the party primaries,” he said.

“The other political parties want what we want, and that is, to win and form the next government.

“If by any acts of omission or commission we give in to bitterness and pettiness or fail to see the larger picture or take any of the political parties for granted.

“We will constitute an obstacle to the victory of our party.” Adamu said.