National
Middle Belt group tackles Shettima over alleged ‘manipulative tendencies’
***Demands he resigns to pave way for a Christian Vice president if he is patriotic
The coalition of Middle Belt Youth Leaaiders have called out the Vice President-elect senator Kashim Shettima to honorably resign his position to pave the way for his replacement by a Christain Vice President.
The group spoke on Thursday against the backdrop that Senator Shettima was reported on 13th May, 2023 to have counseled the elected legislative members of the 10th Assembly that “the Senate president and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives cannot be of same faith because it would fuel Islamisation agenda narrative.
The vice president elect had explained further that, “What we are trying to avoid is a situation whereby the number one citizen, number two citizen, the number three citizen, and the number four citizen are all of the same faith. That will lend credence, and validate the negative narrative of the Islamization agenda of Nigeria”.
In his opinion, a situation where the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are Muslims, could “validate the negative narrative of the Islamisation agenda of Nigeria”.
“Shettima added that the leadership of the 10th Assembly must be all inclusive because the “stability of the nation is much more important than any other consideration”.
Addressing a Press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the Youth Leader of the Middle Belt Forum, Comrade Nasiru Jagaba who spoke on Behalf of the Coalition said Shettima is only riddiculing Christianity as well as deceiving and or manipulating Nigerians, particularly the elected members of the 10th Assembly as they prepare for the elections of leaders of the National Assembly in a matter of weeks from now.
“This is a cunning way to attempt to hoodwink the elected lawmakers into accepting the zoning arrangement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the leadership of the 10th national assembly.
He said Shettima sounded in his counsel like a patriot and great democrat in that quote.
“However, it would have been better judged so if these words from Sen. Shatima came against the call for him to pick the Vice Presidential ticket along side a Muslim in person of the President Elect, Bola Ahmed Asiwaju Tinubu.
“Recall that there was immense tension at the announcement of Sen. Shatima as the running mate of Tinubu in the months before the general elections, from the party, organizations, associations, spirited individuals and even from the international community.
“There were agitations against that ticket on the basis of the same threats to the Nation’s stability that Sen. Kashim Shatima is basing his arguments on today.
“Notably on 5th of September, 2022 the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) outrightly registered her rejection of the Tinubu-Shatima ticket on the basis of being a same faith ticket and a threat to the Nation’s stability as reported in Punch Newspaper of same date.
“Thisdaylive reports Hon. Yakubu Dogara on 31 January, 2023 a member of the APC then as saying that “Muslim-Muslim Ticket Will Polarise Nigerians along Religious, Tribal Lines…” Sahara Reports had a news item tiltled “APC’s Muslim-Muslim Ticket Is Call To Jihad, Shows Supremacy Of Islam In Nigeria – Kano Preacher, Auwal, Tells Congregation To Vote Massively…” reported 6 January, 2023 and also in Channels Television Sen.
“Kabiru Marafa a Member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council is reported as having said that “those against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party are hypocrites treating the presidential race with bias…” (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.channelstv.com/2023/01/04/those-against-muslim-muslim-ticket-are-hypocrites-says-apc-presidential-campaign-council/amp/).
“These were more than enough triggers of threats to the stability of the nation and the causal force to that is the appointment of Sen. Shatima as the running mate of Tinubu.
“While all of these was happening, our dear vice president elect was comfortable with the narrative that he was appointed on the basis of competence and the stability of the nation was not a matter to sacrifice for then.
“We are surprised that Sen. Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from Borno who did not only lobby but accepted to be vice to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim from the South, could not advise his principal on the danger of running a same faith ticket in the executive arm of the nation’s government but suddenly found his voice against a same faith leadership in the Nation’s legislative arm.
“It is equally alarming, that Sen Kashim Shettima could not think about “stability of the nation” when himself and his principal ran on a same faith ticket, thereby causing so much disaffection among citizens of the country along religious lines as reported above and the many here not captured.
“We wonder, Why Shettima did not remember or think about the stability of the country when Bola Tinubu picked him and ran on a Muslim-Muslim ticket?
“Where was this counseling ability when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was searching for running mate? Why didn’t he decline his nomination as running mate to Asiwaju for the sake of the “stability of the nation”.
“However, despite the Muslim-Muslim ticket, Nigerians, (Muslims and Christians alike) campaigned for the ticket and voted for it not minding the faith. Suddenly, because of his parochial interest on the leadership of the National Assembly, he is conscious to the fact of threats to the nation’s stability and feels bold enough to champion a war against the same faith.
According to him,if the vice President Elect was a democrat, a patriot, and a true leader whose interest is the good of the nation he would have suggested a mixed faiths ticket for each arm of the nation’s government and not only the legislative arm.
“This to us is a clear show of shamelessness and reckless disregard to the common interests for self interest and if our opinion is true, then Nigeria is in for a ride with a mind as this on the second most powerful seat in Nigeria.
“Mr Vice President Elect this problem was created by the Executive and the Legislature cannot be used as a pawn to solve this problem.
“As patriot and objective minds whose interest is the good of the nation, We here today warn Kashim Shettima to stop this manipulation and unnecessary incitements against the relative peace that we are enjoying for now.
“He should not remind us of the past, it was under his regime that Christian girls were abducted in Chibok and till this day, some of them are still being held captive.
“Election of the leadership of the National Assembly has never been about religion/faith, so, we employ Kashim Shettima and his co-travelers to desist forthwith from the unhealthy incitement and allow elected lawmakers to choose their leaders.
“Shatima should note that he holds no moral justification to give that counsel even if it were to be the best counsel.
“Nigeria and Nigerians are calm and okey with how the elected members of the 10th National Assembly are going on with their activities ahead of the elections of her leaders in accordance with the constitutional provisions and extant laws thereto.
Hence , we advise he and his agents must let them be as it is because his counsel is not needed. The country has moved on, and we do not need this.
“We believe that the best way Sen. Kashim Shettima can show that he is sensitive to the stability of this country and his sudden advocacy for Christianity is to humbly step down for a Christian Vice President as it is still not too late.
“This is the best way forward now that he has found his voice and conscience. Until that is done, we will continue to rate Shettima as a bigot, who specializes in manipulating religion for his personal interest.”
He admonished elected lawmakers of the 10th National Assembly not to let themselves be deceived by Shettima’s Machiavellian moves.
“They should elect leaders that defend the interest of the majority of Nigerians, irrespective of their faith or ethnicity. They should know that Nigerians have great expectations and goodwill for them and that we support whatever they decide by themselves hence, they should guide and guard themselves from the voices that they take counsel from.”
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, attended his inaugural National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday at the State House Council Chambers in Abuja.
The session was presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The NEC serves as a vital forum for state governors, deputy governors, and the federal government’s economic team to discuss and address key economic challenges.
In a gesture to mark his first appearance, Governor Okpebholo was invited by Vice President Shettima to lead the opening prayer after the national anthem.
This event underscores Edo State’s active commitment to collaborating on national economic policies and driving solutions for Nigeria’s progress.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed sharp criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stating that Nigeria’s decline is now evident to “every honest observer.”
Speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in the U.S., Obasanjo attributed the country’s deteriorating state to leadership failure, pointing specifically to Tinubu’s governance, which he referred to as “Baba-go-slow and Emilokan.”
In his keynote address titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,” Obasanjo highlighted that pervasive corruption and mismanagement have worsened Nigeria’s challenges, driving the country deeper into insecurity, division, and underdevelopment.
He quoted the late writer Chinua Achebe, who in his book The Trouble with Nigeria argued that the country’s fundamental problem is a failure of leadership, not a flaw in its people or resources. According to Obasanjo, this diagnosis remains as relevant today as it was over 40 years ago.
Obasanjo cited works by American experts Robert Rotberg and John Campbell, who have characterized Nigeria as a “failed state.” Their argument, he noted, suggests that Nigeria’s inability to maintain security and stability has serious implications for Africa and the world at large.
Additionally, the former President described “state capture” as a pressing issue in Nigeria, where powerful individuals and groups exploit government resources and policies for personal gain. Obasanjo argued that this corruption undermines national interests, with influential elites shaping the country’s legal and economic systems to benefit themselves. Such practices, he warned, compromise public welfare, affecting the quality of education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
In reflecting on Achebe’s legacy, Obasanjo praised the late author’s commitment to truth and the moral foundation he established for Nigeria. He urged Nigerians and the international community to recognize the dangers of state capture and work towards restoring a governance model that prioritizes the public good.
The senator who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani has disagreed with a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido over national security issues
Lamido had taken a strong position against the current National Security Advisor (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu accusing him of compromising his professional integrity and acting more like a spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu than fulfilling his constitutional role.
Sani advised Lamido to at least appreciate how the Tinubu led Administration tackled insecurity instead of politicizing it in his comment on the National Security Adviser.
Ribadu who was basking in the euphoria of the recent claims of decimating the insurgents cautioned anyone “not to dare Tinubu”, espercially the new Lakurawa Insurgents a development which infuriated the former governor of Jigawa State and a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party,(PDP), prompting him to take to his verified facebook wall to describe the NSA as “loquacious, flippant and qualified to have been Tinubu’s Minsiter of Information instead of NSA.”
Lamido Criticizes NSA for Sycophantic Behavior, Urges Focus on Duties.
Lamido in his comment had expressed concerns over the NSA’s behavior, particularly his past actions as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under President Olusegun Obasanjo. Lamido reminded Nigerians of the NSA’s controversial remarks, including his public labeling of prominent governors—such as Tinubu, Kalu, and Akume—as the “most corrupt.” Lamido pointed out the stark contradiction between the NSA’s earlier criticisms and his current position, serving under the same figures he once condemned.
The former governor called the NSA’s decision to join the administration of President Tinubu—a leader he previously described as corrupt—a “singular mistake,” one that Lamido believes has tarnished the NSA’s credibility and character. “You are not a spokesperson for the President, you are a National Security Advisor,” Lamido emphasized, urging the NSA to return to the professionalism that has historically defined the role.
Lamido argued that previous holders of the NSA position, including the late Umaru Shinkafi, General Gusau, and Colonel Dasuki, all displayed discipline and a low profile, focusing on security matters without resorting to public displays or sycophantic behavior. Lamido lamented that the current NSA’s behavior reflects a departure from this standard, pointing to his increasingly vocal and partisan approach.
Rather than fulfilling his duties as an anonymous and diligent security advisor, Lamido claimed that the NSA’s moral dilemma and excessive displays of loyalty to the president have shifted him into the role of a “Minister of Information,” undermining the neutrality and importance of his position.
In closing, Lamido urged President Tinubu to allow his NSA to regain focus, remove his fears, and return to the professional standards expected of someone in such a sensitive and critical role. The criticism continued to ignite debates about the role of the NSA and the expectations of public office holders in Nigeria, with many calling for greater transparency and consistency from those in power.
Reacting, Shehu Sani countered Lamido in a statement on Friday in Abuja, saying there should be a credit and a commendation for an administration that inherited multi-faceted security challenges ,but which has been reduced to the barest minimum, wondering how the elderly statesman failed to acknowledge the many triumphs of government in bandits hotbed regions in the north.
Sani who served in the upper legislative Chamber in the 8th National Assembly said, he witnessed to the appropriation budget allocated to security which unfortunately did not abate security challenges before now, expressing that Nuhu Ribadu has achieved what many of his predecessors have failed to accomplish despite the hundreds of billions spent in the name of defence and security in the past;
According to him, bandits have been neutralized to a large extent, thus encouraging government in this direction until total victory should have been ideal rather than playing haywire politics which he said may not help the yet-volatile situation in the North.
He said: “Neutralisation of top bandit leaders, end to mass abductions of students in northern schools,
“Securing rail lines and major northern highways hitherto notorious for kidnappings. The prompt response to terrorist attacks on power lines is worth mentioning.
“Security challenges are not over but in all indices of comparison, he has performed better and set unprecedented records. His political critics are fully entitled to their views ,but his delivery on his mandate is unparalleled.”, Sani concluded.
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