Nigerians react to Tinubu’s choice of Shettima as running mate as “shooting yourself in the leg.”

By Adeleye Kunle

Reactions have been mixed to Sen Kashim Shettima’s selection as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu’s running mate, Track News reports.

Tinubu named Shettima as his ruling party’s vice presidential candidate on Sunday in Daura, Katsina state, shortly after paying President Muhammadu Buhari a Sallah visit.

Shettima is a Senator from Borno Central District who serves in the nation’s Upper Chamber. He served two terms as governor of Borno state.

His selection as Tinubu’s running mate has sparked a debate on social media, particularly on Twitter, where some believe the APC national leader has shot himself in the foot by selecting another Muslim as his running mate, a practice known as a Muslim-Muslim ticket in Nigerian politics.

The Twitter debate questioned Tinubu’s audacity in running on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, a move his two major challengers in the next year’s presidential election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) flag bearers, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, respectively, avoided in their bid to win Nigerians’ hearts at the polls.

While some Twitter users pointed out that the Chibok girls were kidnapped while Shettima was governor of terrorism-plagued Borno state in 2014, others concluded that the former Lagos governor’s decision left them with only two presidential candidates, Atiku and Obi.

Here are some Twitter reactions from Nigerians:

“Tinubu chose Shettima, making the APC a Muslim-Muslim ticket,” tweeted @firstladyship. We are not voting on the basis of ethnicity or religion. MERIT receives our vote. We are voting against corruption, ASUU strikes, hunger and poverty, national grid collapses, insane insecurity, and crazy inflation, among other things. “DO I MAKE SENSE?”

“It was Shettima, along with Lamido Sanusi, who said that the Niger Delta receiving 13 percent was one of the causes of Boko-Haram,” @nigeriasbest writes.

If you choose divisive characters, please do not harm…”

“When the Chibok girls were kidnapped, this same Shettima was governor.” This is the governor who, despite warnings from @GEJonathan (former President Goodluck Jonathan) that no exams should be held, conducted them anyway, and the #Chibokgirls went missing as a result. @officialABAT (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu) wants this person as vice,” @thebardogbamola responded.

According to @ayemojubar, “Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket with Shettima will influence the decisions of at least 5% of voters in the upcoming election.” Nobody intends to make the 2023 election religiously based, but Buhari’s fear (of) Islamisation agenda is becoming too real and too frightening.”

“You can insult me because I refused to support Shettima or because I said no to a Muslim-Muslim ticket,” @NabirAbduls said. “I don’t mind insults at all. I have a bright future ahead of me, and I have Peter Obi, who has my best interests and the best interests of every Nigerian at heart…”

“Tinubu is running a Muslim-Muslim ticket by selecting Shettima,” tweeted @biodunalexa. He believes that only Muslims in the Southwest and North can bring him victory. According to the APC, Nigeria now solely belongs to Muslims. Everyone votes for your selection. Thank God for Obi as a third candidate.”

“With Tinubu/APC choosing Shettima on the Muslim Muslim ticket, the race is now between Peter Obi and Atiku,” tweeted @edwardessien. Peter Obi will be elected President in 2023. “Save this for later!”

You shot yourself in the leg: Nigerians react to Tinubu’s choice of Shettima as running mate appeared first on Track News.