By Olukayode Idowu
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has described the choice of his predecessor Kashim Shettima as the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the wisest decision by the Presidential flag bearer of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The governor, in a statement personally signed by him after Tinubu declared Shettima as his choice of a running mate, said: “Earlier today, I received with the greatest joy, the announcement of my mentor, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima as the Vice Presidential candidate of our party, the APC and insha’Allah, the next Vice President of the Federal Republic under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our incoming President, Bi’iznillah.
“It has been my greatest wish that HE Kashim Shettima gets this elevation that he so much deserves as one of Nigeria’s highly patriotic leaders.
“For me, and I am sure for many leaders and members of the APC, Tinubu’s choice of HE Kashim Shettima is the wisest choice at this point in time.”
He added that: “Shettima’s choice is very personal to me and together with our leaders and all stakeholders and members of the APC, we shall campaign vigorously, work day and night, to collectively secure overwhelming victory for the APC in 2023, insha’Allah.”
Zulum further said: “Without the slightest doubt, HE Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has chosen a leader who has very deep understanding of our country and its complexities. There is hardly any tribe in any of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT that Senator Kashim Shettima cannot knowledgeably speak about. He knows the social, cultural, religious, economic and political structure of virtually all the 36 States and the FCT.
“Shettima is extremely patriotic. He believes so much in the unity of this country and he has proved it on a number of occasions.”
He stated that: “Shettima’s administration (in which I am honoured to have served as rector and as commissioner) truly reflected the Nigerian configuration.
“Above everything else, Tinubu has chosen for Nigeria, an incoming Vice President, insha’Allah, with very deep knowledge not only of the Nigerian economy (challenges and prospects) but also of the world.”
He revealed that: “As far back as 2012, Shettima had on many occasions predicted the likelihood of fall in revenue from oil just as he predicted potential fall in the value of naira to dollar, which was why he imported agricultural products worth over N30 billion which today are worth far more, making Borno one of the richest in agricultural machinery.”