Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has unveiled Senator Kashim Shettima, a former governor of Borno State, as his running mate for the 2023 general election.
Tinubu made this known in an interactive session with reporters during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State on Sunday.
A NAN source had earlier hinted that Tinubu had chosen Shettima and the Vice-Presidential candidate would be announced this week.
“The vice-presidential nominee may most likely be a former governor and senator from the Northeast part of Nigeria. The person is also by accident of birth a Muslim, confirming what Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State said on Saturday that Tinubu had settled for a Muslim-Muslim ticket,’’ the source had said.
Shettima, a staunch supporter of Tinubu, played a key role in his emergence as Presidential Candidate of the ruling party.
He toured many states with Tinubu since December 2021 where he addressed party delegates and mobilised support for the former Governor of Lagos State.
VIDEO: BREAKING: 2023: Tinubu finally names Shettima as running mate
Another source says Shetimma was the first to go on air in defence of Tinubu shortly after his outburt in Ogun state.
The Former Borno Governor, had said the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, won’t agree to a consensus arrangement.
He said this is because Tinubu is “the elephant in the room” and the leading aspirant in the race for the APC’s presidential ticket.
Shettima, who spoke in an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, on Friday, argued that only Tinubu can defeat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential race.
“If it is a game of numbers Tinubu will win. The issue of stepping down does not arise, he is the elephant in the room, how do you expect an elephant to step down for a Lilliputian? On a more serious note, the issue of (Tinubu) stepping down is mere speculation.
“More especially, even the speculation on anointment, the president’s special adviser came up to dispute it,” he said.
“Asiwaju is the only candidate with pedigree and brand name to stand shoulder to shoulder with Atiku. An attempt to test any other option might be catastrophic for APC.”
Born on September 2, 1966, to the family of Sir Kashim Ibrahim, he is married to Nana Shettima, and they have three children: two females and a male.
