Shettima's comments: “Under the current dispensation, the worst, the most incompetent Southern Christian is better than the most puritanical Northern Muslim for the Presidency of the Senate.”

REPORTS OF VICE PRESIDENT SHETTIMA’S APPEAL FOR SOUTHERN SENATE PRESIDENT IN CONTEXT

During an interactive session with senators campaigning for the emergence of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin to lead the 10th Senate, yesterday, Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasized the nation’s current political structure and made a case for the emergence of a Southern Christian and a Northern Muslim as the fairest balance to promote inclusivity at the centre. Vice President Shettima's statement was motivated by a profound awareness of the divisive factors within our great nation and was in harmony with the governing party's pledge to ensure inclusivity across all regions and among all groups.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has wholeheartedly reassured the country of his dedication to providing every group with equal representation, which has resonated with the Vice President who shares the same commitment to this honourable endeavour. Unfortunately, the Vice President’s remarks during the parley with the senators, yesterday, have been stripped of context and mischievously circulated as an attempt to minimize the suitability of Muslim contestants in the race for the Senate leadership. The remarks have not only been taken out of context but also misinterpreted to suit an agenda that sabotages our collective bid for unity.

What Vice President Shettima advocated during the meeting was that, considering Nigeria’s President and Vice President are Muslims, it would not be ill-advised for the lawmakers to choose a non-Muslim contestant, even if against a more qualified Muslim option, in order to achieve balance. It is alarming that such an unambiguous plea has been unfairly misconstrued to imply that the Vice President said the most incompetent Christian candidate is superior to a Muslim candidate. One can understand why this absurd interpretation would be found distressing and hijacked by those with a malicious agenda to push. Vice President Shettima’s position reflects the stance of the APC, which has not only assigned the leadership of the House of Representatives to the North-West but has also designated the position of Deputy Senate President to be held by the same region. At the time of the Vice President’s remarks, approximately three contenders for the Speakership race had withdrawn their candidacy to support the candidate from the North-West.

This well-considered balancing strategy aimed to mitigate the potential for crisis within the country, particularly by those anticipating the domination of leadership from the same religious faith in all branches of government as a signal. It would be illogical for the Vice President, who is himself a Muslim and an essential member of the community, to second-guess the competence of fellow Muslims in a nation headed by a Muslim President who has demonstrated unmatched leadership qualities, on the strength of which they were elected under the banner of the APC last February.

The Vice President wishes to distance himself from the wrong and dangerous inferences drawn by the public from his remarks. While some are made innocently and without mischief, there are entities that have seized on the story to cause further chaos that transcends the realm of power politics. This weaponization of our divisions is why the Vice President appeals for inclusivity to prevent any agenda designed to undermine the new government and Nigeria as a whole.

Before the media interface, the Vice President became aware that some entities and individuals were covertly pushing for Muslim leadership of the National Assembly with the sole aim of using the instance to legitimize their grievances against the Nigerian state and to prove to their communities that they have been marginalized and must rise to cause chaos. This sheds light on the paradoxical situation where the same lawmakers who opposed a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket are now actively campaigning for political arrangements that would result in Muslims occupying all the highest four or five positions in the country.

The covert intent of their actions is evident to astute observers of our politics. This is the dimension to which our politics has descended, a dimension that does not align with President Tinubu’s and the APC’s vision of a Nigeria for all, which is the promise that propelled this government to power even when some interest groups attempted to mischaracterize the APC ticket.

The senators who met with the Vice President are known as the Stability Group, a group of 77 patriots who have signed up for the Akpabio/Barau ticket and believe the pair would represent the interests of the nation and the party. The group is neither an ethnic nor religious group but a collection of well-intentioned senators with a convincing solution to Nigeria’s stability dilemma, as their name implies.

The Vice President remains grateful to the media outlets that have seen through the mischaracterization and have been able to provide context to those who missed it. We are at a critical point in our nation and cannot afford to lose our focus because of mischief-makers obsessed with starting a fire where there is none. Vice President Shettima remains grateful to those who have read beyond newspaper clickbait and those who have given him the benefit of the doubt and remain allies for the betterment of the country.

Olusola Abiola,
Director of Information, Office of the Vice President,
12 June 2023

Previous Thread:
https://www.nairaland.com/7724533/worst-southern-christian-better-than#123740365

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Shettima agbawo!!!

And they will all be brought to book surely

But your advocacy for power sharing for the Presidency and Vice Presidency was not twisted,
It was simply non existent.!

You think say you wise..

Chief mischief maker himself talking

Dem plenty. The National Orientation Agency needs someone with Oraimo cords empowered to flog mischief makers in the neck and change their suicidal orientation, just because their lamba man lost election.

Thiefnubuu should never hire Lai Mohammed I beg him pls

Nothing concern me

Just dey play oh

Make we dey go

Why is Shettima advocating for a Christian as the Senate President?

Why not make a Muslim the Senate President?

After all, El-Rufai said you Muslims own Nigeria and will continue to dictate who rules.

We are taking records of what happens in Nigeria today. The day two Christians eventually become President and VP and someone in the Muslim North wants to protest on the streets, I pity that soul!

🫤

I remember the story book I read back then in school, Shettima the boy slave....


God bless the VP and Nigeria.....

The issue is that Fulani oligarchs are feeling left out in the top hierarchy and want their own to become the Senate President or Speaker which they are beginning to show desperation. Its not really about religion.
President; Yoruba Muslim
Vice President: Kanuri Muslim
Proposed Senate President; South South Christian
Proposed Deputy Senate: North Central minority Muslim
Proposed Speaker: Hausa Muslim
Proposed Deputy Speaker: Igbo Christian
Chief Justice; Yoruba Muslim

Fulani elites are Feeling left out and trying to misinterpret his clear statement calling for equity as if he disparaged Muslims.

Kanuri and Fulanis don't ever agree on anything, after Igbos the next tribe that Fulanis dread is Kanuri, even Usman Dan Fodio Jihad avoided Kanem Borno empire after he was threatened with annihilation and reconquest of territories seized from Hausas and Yorubas

But I see it as a subtle jab implying that, although Muslims (northerners perhaps) are the best qualified to emerge as SP, a southern Christian should considered, just for fairness sake. I would have loved to watch the reaction/actions of northerners if a southern president adopts the exact nepotistic pattern of appointment former PMB practiced for 8 years.

Our amiable VP should just ignore IPOB/OBIDIENTS and their hatred

Shettima stop lying.
You said it

Thieves everywhere

OneCandleAway:
Shettima stop lying.
You said it

Una don start abi . U a no dey tire?

Later all these IPOB will claim Shetima is dead and that a clone or Aminu from Senegal is in Asso Rock and doing VP job

Yari's Senate Presidency is a done deal

Talking about ant-infested woods and visit of lizards.
The VP seems to have a penchant for being extreme with words and characterization.
Who can forget the nice man and ice cream saga or the gringory fiasco.
His temperament does not really suit that of a mainstream politician.
Nevertheless, his party can't eat their cake and have it. You can't benefit from a campaign to ostensibly divorce religion from politics only to turn around to stop others from benefiting from same

Continue
God is watching you😎