All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Publicity Secretary Murtala Ajaka has urged Nigerians to disregard any religious objections to the party’s selection of Sen. Kashim Shettima as its vice presidential candidate for 2023.
In a statement released on Monday in Abuja, Mr. Ajaka made the request in response to opinions aired by various political groups, particularly the opposition, about the APC’s selection of Shettima.
A Muslim and former two-term governor of Borno named Shettima as Bola Tinubu, the APC’s 2023 presidential contender in Daura, Katsina State, announced his running mate.
Mr. Tinubu, a former two-term governor of Lagos State and a top APC official, had traveled to Daura to honor President Muhammadu Buhari during Sallah.
Shettima now sits in the National Assembly as Borno Central’s representative.
While praising Tinubu’s decision, Mr. Ajaka claimed that the anxieties being voiced in some places were purely fabricated by the opposing political parties.
Shettima was cited by the APC spokesman as the party’s top candidate to triumph in the upcoming 2023 presidential election.
He claimed that the clamor and anguish were a result of the opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, being unbalanced after Shettima was named the APC’s vice presidential nominee.
According to Mr. Ajaka, Mr. Shettima was a knowledgeable, successful, courageous, and honest guy who did not tolerate bigotry or possess corruption badges from any anti-corruption organizations.
He continued by saying that Shettima’s outstanding credentials as the vice presidential candidate for the APC have once again upset the opposition parties.
The PDP and others would have preferred that our presidential candidate accept less in order to facilitate their electoral success.
But the selection of the dependable and trustworthy Shettima must have thwarted their wicked schemes.
“While we sympathize with the opposition parties, we urge Nigerians to go above their tribal and religious sensitivities in order to benefit from effective governance under Tinubu-presidency. Shettima’s
“Their records in public posts are testimony to rely on, and neither Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu nor Sen. Kashim Shettima are religious extremists or hyper Muslims,” he stated.
According to the state’s chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Mr. Shettima, a two-term former governor of Borno, benefited from the support of the Christian community throughout his administration. Mr. Ajaka recalled this.
He continued by saying that Shettima’s administration has been the most equitable to the Christian community in Borno history.
He said that Mr. Shettima sponsored the most Christian pilgrims every year from 2011 until he left office as governor of Borno.
This and other more evidences of respect for people of all faiths can be found in Borno, according to Mr. Ajaka.
But he added that the APC and its presidential candidate wouldn’t let anything deter them from their 2023 election victory.
The APC and its presidential candidate, he stressed, will not be sidetracked from their objective of winning the general elections of 2023 at all levels.
“Borno has the most votes in the North-East, where Kashim Shettima has been a senator and is still politically significant after serving as governor for eight years.
“If the APC had received significant support from this state and the entire North-East, and Shettima had emerged as our vice-presidential candidate, the PDP candidate wouldn’t have had an easy time in the region.
He stated, “I believe the APC and our presidential candidate are politically correct since our main objective at the moment is to win the upcoming elections, not forgetting the competence that Shettima symbolizes.
