THE wait for Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is over. Enter Senator Kashim Shettima, the immediate past Governor of Borno State, as Tinubu’s substantive running mate. Tinubu has made good his longstanding intention to run on a Muslim-Muslim, MM, ticket. Expectedly, Nigerians are reacting.

Unlike the intra-party reactions which followed the People Democratic Party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s choice of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, reactions to Tinubu’s MM ticket goes even beyond Nigeria.

Read Also: Muslim-Muslim Ticket: We can’t campaign for Tinubu again —Northern APC Christians

The only ticket which has gone down well is that of the Labour Party. Peter Obi, its presidential candidate, chose a high quality VP, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. It was a perfectly balanced ticket. PDP’s is not balanced enough because it excluded the South-East which should have been favoured under its 24-year-old zoning arrangement. 

The New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP’s candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has suddenly become almost irrelevant. His two appearances on television have all but killed the prospects of that party as a serious contender. Till date, nothing has been heard of his final VP nominee. This is probably because Kwankwaso does not really intend to run for president. He is working for Tinubu from NNPP just as he worked for Buhari from PDP in 2019. As far as serious political leaders are concerned, the less we speak of Kwankwaso, the better.

Is Tinubu’s choice of Kashim Shettima a curse or blessing? Sounds like a debate topic. So, we will examine the pros and cons, and draw a conclusion. The good side. Tinubu and Shettima is a tag-team made in Eldorado within the limitations of its Muslim-Muslim flaw. Of all the frontrunners – Governors Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State earlier being eyed by Tinubu – KSM was way up front.

Imagine Tinubu having an inflamer like El-Rufai as his VP! El-Rufai has severally insulted him publicly. El-Rufai has a way of looking for favours in the hands of leaders he insulted before or insulting leaders after benefiting from their good offices. He did it to Buhari and Obasanjo. He also insults leaders who sideline him as he did to Goodluck Jonathan. Disrespect is a character trait that is totally alien to Shettima.

Though he is the son of a Koranic teacher, Shettima is one of the most open, moderate Muslims you will ever encounter. He shares this trait with Tinubu. To Tinubu, Islam is just a religion, nothing more. Tinubu is a typical political godfather with a measure of tribal irredentism. Personal loyalty comes first, and he likes to dictate. He brings out the tribal card when he feels challenged, as he did in Abeokuta during the emi l’okan episode. Religion is almost never an issue. This is why his wife and some of his children are Christians.

Kashim Shettima respects everybody and everything. He calls Governor Babagana Zulum whom he made Commissioner and later promoted to governor “my leader”. Shettima is one Northern Muslim politician who openly eulogises the virtues of the Igbo and values their contributions to the nation’s development. Tinubu, on the other hand, tends to regard them as a threat to his political kingdom.

Shettima must have warmed himself straight into the cockles of Tinubu’s heart when he dropped the clanger: “Osinbajo  is a good man. But nice men do not make good leaders… Nice men should be selling popcorn, ice cream”.  Saying this at the height of Osinbajo’s short-lived political ascendancy was important in underlining Shettima’s loyalty. Shettima stuck out his neck for Tinubu and risked losing all relevance had Tinubu lost the ticket.

Beyond all this, Shettima’s scope of development is very ambitious. As an economist, he bristles with ideas. In spite of the Boko Haram insurgency which dogged his eight years as Borno State Governor, he built numerous infrastructural marvels. His primary and secondary schools look like university campuses, a legacy that Zulum is building on. In terms of team selection, Tinubu is reputed to have eyes for excellence. With Shettima, he has struck again. 

What about the flipside of this ticket?  Tinubu’s MM ticket told the Nigerian Christian community that politically, they are losers. Only Muslims can win presidential elections. Abiola did it in 1993, showing that MM ticket is the only way a Yoruba Muslim can win the presidency. It rankles the Christian community that a presidential candidate can be so audacious as to ride rough-shod over their political privileges.

After eight years of an extremist Muslim president, another Muslim president comes with a Muslim VP. When the presidency goes back to the North, it will be another Muslim. After 24 years of Muslim domination what will remain of the political heritage of Nigerian Christians? This is political Islamisation. They say MM does not matter, yet they will not accept a Christian-Christian ticket. They enjoy Christian votes but they will never vote for Christians. Bishop Hassan Kukah has said it all: Christians do not need to make too much noise. They should react to Tinubu’s MM ticket challenge with the voter’s cards. Simple.

The choice of a meritorious running mate notwithstanding, Tinubu’s MM is certainly an extra burden to the heavy loads he is already carrying. He will always be asked whether there are no Christians with merit in the North to balance his ticket with. He will also have to explain his role in bringing the Buhari disaster on Nigerians. 

How can a failed ruling party expect Nigerians to vote for it again rather than look elsewhere for their salvation?  More so as vibrant options are within the reach of their PVCs? In 2023 we have clear choices. Choosing won’t be difficult!

Vanguard News