The Vice President candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima, has described Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar as a political tourist who will be retired back to Dubai in the 2023 elections.
Shettima stated this in Abuja when a support group, ‘APC National Integrity Movement’, visited him.
He assured that the APC standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would hit the ground running and form his cabinet within the first week after his inauguration if elected as president.
He added that Atiku cannot match Tinubu’s excellent track record of service delivery, qualitative leadership and capacity to groom competent administrators.
Shettima said: “Atiku Abubakar is like a father to me and I hold him in high esteem. But he is a political tourist who is only in this country every electoral circle and we are going to retire him back to Dubai to go and relax. In every situation, for people to see your worth, they need to see your output at home. I am from the Northeast; he is from the Northeast.
“Atiku cannot point to three projects that he brought to the Northeast or to Northern Nigeria for the eight years that he served as the vice president. He cannot show us three people that he has mentored.
“Is he even in good term with past governors of Adamawa state? Admiral Nyako is with us. James Ngilari is with us. Asiwaju can boast of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, he can boast of Babatunde Raji Fashola, he can boast Lai Mohammed, Rauf Aregbesola, Kayode Fayemi, Femi Gbajabiamila, Abiodun Faleke, Joe Igbokwe, Ben Akabuaze. I can boost of Babagana Zulum, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Mohammed Ali Ndume, Betara Aliyu and Tahir Mongunu, Zanaib Gimba.”
The former Borno State governor described Tinubu as the best material in the 2023 presidential elections.
Shettima said: “The trajectory of global growth is facing Africa and Nigeria will make or mar that transition. That is why I will rather be a small fish in a big pond than be a big fish in a small pond.
“I supported Asiwaju out of a moral obligation, out of a moral conviction. What we have seen is his opportunity for national collaboration and national cohesion. When the frontlines that divides us were being manipulated for political ends, Asiwaju refused to swallow the pill.
“Nigerian’s of younger generation must know Asiwaju’s history of two decades past when he stood firm as the fulcrum to a despotic PDP government in this country when he was viciously maligned and ostracised and that was when he laid the foundation for modern Lagos state.
“He provided support and succour when the nation was enveloped in darkness and when we were having lots of destruction in the hands of military dictators, he was a sanctuary for victims of political witch hunt including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who was intimidated ad harassed, dehumanised and chased out of the PDP.
“It was Asiwaju that gave him political sanctuary and a platform to contest the Presidency of this country in 2007. The same thing was repeated four years later when another harassed person, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was given the platform to contest the presidency of this country under the ACN.
“Those of us who were in Lagos in 2014 for the Presidential primary of the APC can attest to the fact that without the block support of the south west, President Muhammadu Buhari would not have emerged as the Presidential flag bearer of the APC.
“For God sake, ours is a young nation where inclusivity and sense of belonging has been the cardinal work of our national and political intercourse. If power resides in the north for eight years, for God sake, it should move.
