Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stressed why himself and his vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima, a two-term Governor of Borno State must win the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking at the unveiling of Shettima as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu said: “We must win this election so that it can bring jobs and eliminate poverty without thinking of religious or ethnic difference, we are one, our passport is one – one nation, one destiny.
“This chapter in our nation’s history demands a bold yet pragmatic approach. In selecting Senator Shettima I have committed myself to this path. I have made the hard choice because I believe it is the best choice”.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the APC officially unveiled Senator Shettima, who currently represents Borno Central in the National Assembly, as Tinubu’s running mate at the Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT) on Wednesday.
“This is where politics must end and leadership must begin. True Leadership is not grounded in religious pandering, populism or sentiment. To forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, we must, instead, break the shackles of old thinking. Together, we shall build this party and this nation,” Tinubu further said.
Amid the outrage over the emergence of Shettima, a Muslim, as the party’s vice presidential candidate, Tinubu said it was time for the people to look beyond religion and ethnicity and focus on building a prosperous nation. The presidential candidate called on Nigerians to shun religious and ethnic division ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“We hold the chance to move the nation and our collective cause forward as never before. To do this, we must be wise in our thoughts and courageous in our actions. We must win this election so that we can bring jobs, eliminate poverty, educate our children, (and) bring up our grandchildren without thinking of religious division or ethnic differences. We are one. Our passport is one; greenback is one. One nation, one destiny,” Tinubu stressed.
The APC flagbearer, who is also a former governor of Lagos State, explained that his decision to pick the former governor has nothing to do with personal feelings while urging aggrieved Nigerians to ignore religious sentiments.
“As a committed and progressive leader, I have read and listened to all that has been written and said. It has been an emotional situation for me. Out of many competent Nigerians and out of many advice, I know it has to be my decision.
“And the hallmark of leadership is taking a decision at the right time when it ought to be taken. I did; consulted and I am proud to see all of you here acknowledging the quality of our Vice (Presidential Candidate) Kashim Shettima.
“Yet, I remain steadfast in my belief and selection of this man. I believe and I am committed with him to the project Nigeria. With all the strength and stress that might come with it, we will change this country for the better,” Tinubu said.