Sen. Kashim Shettima’s selection as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s running mate for president by the All Progressives Congress has been hailed as a sensible option by Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila.
Gbajabiamila called the former governor of Lagos State “the biggest talent hunter in the country,” claiming that Tinubu chose “one of the best hands for the job of Nigeria’s Vice President.”
The Speaker claimed that Shettima had established himself as a savvy and forward-thinking politician over the years, and that his eight years as governor of Borno State, from 2011 to 2019, had been a turning point for the state.
According to a statement made on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, titled ‘Speaker Gbajabiamila Welcomes Shettima’s Choice as Tinubu’s Running Mate.’
Gbajabiamila said, “Asiwaju is widely known as the biggest talent hunter in the country who has over the years assembled an army of performers in governance irrespective of their ethnicity or religious leaning. This unique feature also can be found in Senator Shettima following his track record of excellence in both the private and public sectors.”
The Speaker said that having Shettima serve as vice president under a Tinubu presidency would be a stroke of economic genius since he is a leading banker with the moral character and intellectual aptitude to turn things around.
Gbajabiamila said, “My first encounter with Shettima, who I had admired from afar, was many years ago when he and I travelled together with Asiwaju to the United Kingdom to address the issue of terrorism with the Britons and Nigerians in the diaspora.
“I was amazed by Shettima’s depth, ability, and capacity to engage Christian Amanpour, a journalist of international repute. He earned my respect – and I must say, that of his interviewer – even more ever since then.”
The Tinubu-Shettima ticket is “a good combination that will lead to success at the polls for the APC,” the Speaker added.
Gbajabiamila applauded Tinubu for making “the wise decision,” pointing out that Nigerians had been longing for such a fantastic team. In the run-up to the 2023 elections, he urged Nigerians to back the Tinubu-Shettima ticket and other APC candidates for a range of political seats.
