Tinubu: Shettima will help bring good governance

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has explained that the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate was because he believed he could help him bring the best governance to all Nigerians, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region.

Tinubu in a statement issued Sunday, said his choice of Shettima was not to please the Muslim community or spite the Christian community.

He said all his life, his decisions regarding the team around and supporting him have always been guided by the principles of competence, innovation, compassion, integrity, fairness, and adherence to excellence.

Tinubu noted that he was aware that some people would be disappointed in the choice of Shettima based on religion.

He stressed that religion, ethnicity and region cannot always and fully determine the country’s path, adding that to forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, there was a need to break free of old binds.

Tinubu said: “I am mindful of the energetic discourse concerning the possible religion of my running mate. Just and noble people have talked to me about this. Some have counselled that I should select a Christian to please the Christian community. Other have said I should pick a Muslim to appeal to the Muslim community. Clearly, I cannot do both.

“Both sides of the debate have impressive reasons and passionate arguments supporting their position. Both arguments are right in their own way. But neither is right in the way that Nigeria needs at the moment.

“As president, I hope to govern this nation toward uncommon progress. This will require innovation. It will require steps never before taken. It will also require decisions that are politically difficult and rare.

“If I am to be that type of President, I must begin by being that type of candidate. Let me make the bold and innovative decision not to win political points but to move the nation and our party’s campaign closer to the greatness that we were meant to achieve.

“Here is where politics ends, and true leadership must begin. Today, I announce my selection with pride because I have made it not based on religion or to please one community or the other. I made this choice because I believe this is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians, period, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region.”