2023 Elections: Tinubu To Unveil Shettima In Abuja On Wednesday

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima

Bola Tinubu, the flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC,  has rescheduled the presentation of his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, for Wednesday in Abuja.

The development is coming nine days after the national leader of the party picked the former governor of Borno State as vice presidential candidate.

Shettima will be officially unveiled by 1.00pm at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday morning by the  APC National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungu.

The statement partly read, “The All Progressives Congress will formally unveil its Vice Presidential Candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima, to the Nigerian public.

“All members of the National Executive Committee, Progressives Governors’ Forum, APC Caucus in the National Assembly, Federal Executive Council, diplomatic corps and presidential aspirants at the June 2022 Special National Convention, APC state chairmen, secretaries and organising secretaries are hereby invited to witness this landmark official unveiling of our great party’s vice presidential candidate.”

Tinubu had told newsmen that Shettima was the ‘chosen one’ after a closed-door meeting with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in Daura, Katsina State, on July 10.

Barely 24 hours after the unveiling of his running mate, the ruling party received barrage of criticisms from concerned Nigerians, religious leaders, opposition parties and the Christians Association of Nigeria.

The series of backlash had fueled reports that Tinubu and the leadership of the APC may consider dropping Shettima from the race and pick a Northern Christian with two days left for the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

However, the camp of the former Lagos State governor had denied the report, saying the negative review being peddled by a select few won’t force them to abandon their vice presidential candidate.