A CASE FOR SENATOR KASHIM SHETTIMA AS PRESIDENTiAL RUNNING MATE.
This group comprises of professionals in all fields of endeavour, Northerners and Southerners, Muslims, Christians and Atheists, partisans and the non partisans, but most importantly Nigerians, who are concerned about the dangerous dimensions our nation is drifting towards.
Times like this call for an all inclusive intervention, so that we can prevail on those entrusted with the destiny of our country, to takes steps aimed at arresting the dangerous slide and for the benefits of all.
This memo is one of such moves, we intend to initiate, as we contribute to advancing our national leadership discourse.
We note, that, the names of Presidential running mates to all the Presidential candidates in all the political parties, have long been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, albeit with windows still open for substitutions.
We have keenly observed ongoing debates amongst Nigerians, as to who makes a more suitable running mate to all the Presidential candidates of all the parties against the windows for substitution and wish to make imputes into the debates.
We do this, with the firm belief that, untill we reverse the philosophy which makes the choice of leaders for Nigeria, as the prerogative of a few players, and untill those who understand the potential dangers in allowing puppets to emerge as leaders,we may end up perpetually with vagabonds as our next set of leaders.
For the ruling, All Progressives Congress, APC, in particular; which stands a greater chance, and to which we belong, we make bold to state, that: times like this, even as non stakeholders in the party’s choice of it’s candidate and his running mate, calls for deeper introspection by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu about Nigeria’s political question and the need for an inclusive approach, if he hopes to succeed.
Several groups and individuals have made several suggestions to him:mostly based on permutations of primordial alignments, including tribe, religion or even geo-political estimations.
After exhaustive consultations, including virtual meetings with like minds, we make haste to caution the candidate against choosing the substitution for his running mate based on the prescriptions handed down to him by those who seek to exert perpetual control over the system and commit him into making blunders that could ultimately undo him, to their own benefits.
We make this caution against the background that, some of us were privy to the plans of making Bola Ahmed Tinubu, even with his political clout a mere surrogate.
It is against this background that, after a critical scrutiny of all the recommended possible appointees made to him, a sound intellectual, a loyal and committed compatriot, with a vast knowledge of socio-economic and political dynamics of Nigeria, remains his best bet.
We did not come to this conclusion with any sentiments; either tribal, religious or sectional attachment, but rather through a broad based view lens of antecedents and demonstrative capabilities, noticed over the years.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu knows that, while the choice of his running mate remains exclusively his own prerogative according to the law: allowing vested interest to infuse their venom into the choice and possibly sway his initial calculations, could be politically suicidal and counter productive.
As he also knows, the interests vested in the next leadership of Nigeria is more intense than ever before, just as he knows that some of the choices being forwarded to him are in everything but national interest.
His body language gives many Nigerians confidence that, he knows each of the political players since his sojourn into politics and also knows the game plan of the later day counsellors, trying to sway him.
Despite knowing what he could possibly do in the face of the intrigues and manipulations being mounted to bring in strange bed fellows, we strongly feel the need to re-enforce his resolve in picking the better devil than the stranger saint.
We have weighed the credentials of all possible nominees as suggested to him and have come up with this view, that none of all those so far recommended, has the requisite political sagacity, intellectual depth, leadership and vision as well as the demonstrative loyalty of Senator Kashim Shettima.
We make this conclusion without prejudice to his geo- political region, tribe or religion considerations. This we believe, taken along with what might be on Bola Ahmed Tinubu”s take on Kashim Shettima, will give an informed edge over the deliberate clowning that some people have reduced the contest to be.
Those who have been pushing to pitch Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum: although eminently qualified, against his own godfather are being most uncharitable and unfair to Nigerians, at this seeming labyrinthine period.
We hope this memo meets the expectations of all patriotic Nigerians who seek to advice Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in making an informed choice from the crowd.
May God grant him the wisdom to know, to differentiate and to act.
Sign:
Professor Haruna Yerima- Convener
Inuwa Bwala- Protem Secretary
Yakubu Ahmed Mai Bindiga-Co-Convener