Running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Kashim Shettima has described his pairing with the APC’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as a reincarnation of the Hope ’93 presidential ticket of the defunct Social Democratic Party.
MKO Abiola a Yoruba Muslim ran with a Muslim from Borno State, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe in 1993.
Shettima a two term governor of Borno State described his combination with Tinubu as a popular choice in the APC.
He spoke at his official unveiling as the VP candidate of the ruling party.
He said: “About thirty years ago, Nigerians from both sides of the Niger, came together to market the ideals of a ticket like ours. They overlooked the pedestrian attempts to politicize the religious affiliations of the presidential candidate and running mate, and yielded to the message of hope; and the manifesto of prosperity promised them.
“The MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe ticket, defied the stereotype of Nigerians, as hopelessly sectional, and incapable of prioritizing reason over sentiments. That ticket, even though it was opposed by the same agents that doubted its success, has remained the best moment, of our various experiments with democracy, so far. This reincarnation of the 30-year-old hope that produced the late MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe, came at a time the country is being pushed to the edge of anarchy, by conflict entrepreneurs, in gaudy suits and babanriga”.
“But the overwhelming endorsement of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, at the APC presidential primaries, by aspirants from the very groups predicted to reject him; and his subsequent election by delegates from the same groups, is a clear message, that Nigerians are beyond the stereotypes of those desperate to tear the people apart.
“The goodwill messages that have poured in, since the announcement of my selection, as running mate, to the high-performing Jagaban Borgu, easily underscore the depth of hope that our people are investing, in the ticket. And I do not doubt that the amplitude of this love, across the country, from Abia through to Zamfara, is an assurance that Nigerians are again prepared to choose the competence of their unifying representatives, over any expression of primordial sentiments.
“We all witnessed the decisive blows dealt the bigotry dispensed by a hopeless minority, ahead of the APC presidential primaries, last June. The futility of their propaganda, showed that Nigerians aren’t the unthinking robots some are quick to call them. Nigerians are rational beings, with the capability to tell an invidious agenda apart, from sincere concern for them. They are not the uncritical consumers of clickbait and falsehoods, as some of us think they are. They see through the bigots, masquerading as patriots and, very importantly, they know those who represent their interests, even in the quietest and darkest of meeting rooms” he added .
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