Shettima’s Friends, Allies Rally Support for APC

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Close friends and associates of the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima, have come together to seek support for his vice presidential ambition in the 2023 general election.

They said they were recommending him to Nigerians as a detribalised political leader, a unifier and bridge builder.

The friends who addressed journalists in Abuja under the auspices of Friends of Kashim Shettima Mustapha (KSM), said they were made up of highly distinguished men and women whose career paths have crossed with Senator Shettima in the last 50 years.

Speaking on the qualities of APC vice presidential candidate, National Coordinator of KSM, Waziri Bulama, said that Shettima is a competent and fair-minded administrator.

He described Shettima as an astute resources manager and transformational leader.

“KSM is a detribalised political leader who is a unifier and bridge builder. He has friends and political associates across the country. We are convinced that in a diverse, and complex country like Nigeria, we need a liberal and fair-minded vice president that will complement the nation-building and national integration efforts of the president.

“This is why well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians should support Tinubu-Shettima presidential ticket in next year’s election. Like Asiwaju Tinubu, KSM appointed non-indigenes and competent people of different faiths into top government positions in Borno State,” he said.

Bulama said that Shettima’s enviable track record of infrastructural transformation, administrative sagacity, visionary and dynamic leadership as well as astute management of lean resources of Borno State during his eight years stewardship as governor should be enough reason to give the duo of Tinubu-Shettima presidential ticket a chance to fix the economy and restore Nigeria to the path of prosperity.

According to Bulama, it is imperative for Nigerians to know the true character and attributes of the leaders that would be elected into various offices in the 2023 general elections, adding that, “the emergence of a president of our dream is of paramount importance”.

“Tinubu and Shettima have done it before in Lagos and Borno states and they will replicate the delivery of the dividends of democracy nation-wide if given the mandate.

“As Borno State governor, Senator Kashim Shettima administered a state challenged by insecurity delivering massive social and physical infrastructure. Since economic management responsibility is often assigned to the vice president, Shettima as consummate banker conveniently fits the bill and complements Asiwaju Tinubu who is a Chartered Accountant and astute manager of human and material resources,” he said. 

Bulama further stated that among the three frontline presidential candidates, only Asiwaju Tinubu and Shettima possess intimidating credentials.

Speaking on the make up of the group, Bulama said the friends came from all over the country, including illustrious sons and daughters who grew up in the same neighborhood, attended schools and university or shared experiences in the banking sector and political leadership with him.

He said that KSM friends are largely a diverse group of partisan and non-partisan leaders, corporate giants, former commissioners, former and present governors, Senators and political associates across the country.

“It is this rare breed of distinguished Nigerians that constitute the ‘Friends of KSM’ and have morphed into a Solidarity Group to support the Tinubu- Shettima Presidency in the February, 2023 presidential election,” he said.