2023: APC to officially unveil Shettima as VP candidate

Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will unveil Kashim Shettima as presidential running mate to Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.

The party, in a statement posted on its verified Twitter handle on Tuesday, said Mr Shettima will be formally unveiled at the Shehu Yar’adua Centre in Abuja at 11 am.

Mr Tinubu had, on July 10, announced the former governor of Borno State as his running mate, following the resignation of Ibrahim Masari, who served as a ‘placeholder”.

The announcement of Mr Shettima, who currently represents Borno Central in the Senate, has generated a lot of outcry from different quarters, particularly within the APC.

Messrs Tinubu and Shettima are both Muslims. Many people have condemned it as ‘insensitive’.

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, a close ally of Mr Tinubu, Elisha Abbo, a senator and many more have criticised the choice. Many have also hailed Mr Shettima’s choice.

Mr Tinubu, in a statement, said the country must jettison religion for competence.

Similarly, Mr Shettima said the concern about Islamisation is unfounded based on the personal life of Mr Tinubu, whose wife, Remi Tinubu, is a pastor.

Despite the outcry, Mr Shettima will be unveiled on Wednesday as the running mate to Mr Tinubu.