2023: He Has Wisdom, Zeal to Perform As VP – APC Network’s Nat’l Coordinator, Bishop Adedokun Olusegun Throws Weight Behind Sen Shettima As Asiwaju Tinubu’s Running Mate

2023: He Has Wisdom, Zeal to Perform As VP – APC Network’s Nat’l Coordinator, Bishop Adedokun Olusegun Throws Weight Behind Sen Shettima As Asiwaju Tinubu’s Running Mate.

APC Network, a group with over 2.5 Mliion membership across the 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Abuja has thrown its weight behind former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate to the party, APC’s presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a media chat on Friday, with journalists, the Group’s National Coordinator, Bishop Adedokun Olusegun stated that the All Progressives Congress, APC Network is rooting for Shettima as Tinubu’s second in command, to be, based on his wisdom and commitment to perform as Vice President, excellently, when elected.

“Firstly, we are solidly behind Senator Shettima as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate based on his wisdom and commitment to perform as Vice President,excellently, when elected. Secondly, Governor Shettima has wherewithal, clout and political capital to tackle VP Atiku in Northeast zone. He is liberal and people-centred.

Bishop Olusegun continued,”Nigerians need Senator Kashim Shettima to serve as the next V.P to His Excellency, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. As I said earlier, he has the wisdom, strength and commitment to perform such important and responsible duties of Vice President’s position.

“We will be pleased that his long standing experience and determined efforts to provide support and care for refugees in Borno state as well as to mobilise international assistance for the displaced have been highly evaluated, and rightly so. In the face of the migration crisis, his leadership will definitely help to bring every state together for finding a united response to many critical problems of today.

“The ongoing threat of terrorism, climate change, people in zones of conflict and forcibly displayed persons, children who are unable to go to school, women exposed to violence, and many other serious challenges require the combination of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima to steer the ship of the nation to a clear water.

“Disrespect for the fundamental principles of the Country and the National Constitution most painfully affects innocent civilians, especially women and children will be checked.

“On the other hand,  we are sure that the constructive local dialogue on restructuring  will be implemented.” He submitted.

Senator Kashim Shettima’s brief Introduction:
Governor Shettima is a very intelligent and outspoken Muslim politician from the Kanuri tribe from Borno State and is generally seen as extremely hospitable to other faith and ethnic groups. Throughout his tenure as Governor, Shettima has maintained amongst his closest aides, an Ibo Christian from Anambra State in the Southeast, an Urhobo Christian from Delta State in the South-South, a Christian from Edo State in the South-South, a Yoruba Christian from the Southwest, a fulani man from Gombe in the northeast and a Hausa man from Zamfara State in the northwest.

Governor Shettima speaks fluent English and Hausa language. Local and International listeners of his public presentations regularly describe Shettima as being very articulate and intelligent.

Personal life:

Kashim Shettima was born in Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria to the family of Sir Kashim Ibrahim. He is married to Nana Shettima, and they have three children: two females and a male.

Education:

Mr Kashim attended Lamisula Primary School in Maiduguri from 1972 to 1978; Government Community Secondary School, Biu in southern part of Borno State from 1978 to 1980; transferred to Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum (now in neighbouring Yobe State) where he completed his secondary education in 1983. He studied at the University of Maiduguri and earned a Degree (BSc) in Agricultural Economics in 1989. He had his one-year compulsory membership of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, at the defunct Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative Bank, Calabar, capital of Cross River State in South-South, Nigeria, from 1989 to 1990. He obtained a master’s degree (MSc) in Agricultural Economics in 1991 at the University of Ibadan in Southwest, Nigeria. Shettima joined the University of Maiduguri as a Lecturer with the Department of Agricultural Economics and was in the academia from 1991 to 1993.

Early career:

In 1993, he moved into the banking sector and was employed by (now defunct) Commercial Bank of Africa Limited as head of accounts unit at the bank’s office in Ikeja, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria. Shettima was there from 1993 to 1997. In 1997 he crossed over to the African International Bank Limited as a Deputy Manager and rose to become a Manager in 2001. In 2001, he moved to the Zenith Bank as head of its main branch in Maiduguri. At the Zenith Bank he rose to Senior Manager/Branch Head; Assistant General Manager (AGM)/Zonal Head (North-East), Deputy General Manager/Zonal Head (North-East) before he stepped out of the Zenith Bank as a General Manager in 2007 following his appointment as Commissioner for Finance in Borno State.

Political career

From 2007 to 2011, he served as Commissioner in 5 Ministries. In the January 2011 ANPP primaries, Engineer Modu Fannami Gubio was selected as candidate for the governorship. However, Gubio was later shot dead by gunmen, and Shettima was selected in a second primary in February 2011. In the 26 April 2011 elections, Shettima won with 531,147 votes while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Muhammed Goni, gained 450,140 votes. He was Commissioner of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs (2008), Education (2009), Agriculture and Natural Resources and finally to the Ministry of Health from where he contested the Governorship in 2011 which he won under the platform of the now defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and was inaugurated on May 29, 2011. He won reelection in 2015 under the All Progressives Congress, APC and was unambiguously chosen as Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, an umbrella body of Governors in the 19 States located in northern Nigeria. He had so far been driving key changes in the affairs of the forum with focus on promoting northern unity and reviving ailing industries belonging to northern States.

As Governor of Borno State, he had efficiently managed challenges arising from the Boko Haram insurgency which he inherited in 2011. With the approval of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Army in 2013, his government formalized establishment of youth volunteers called the Civilian JTF. The volunteers have played very significant role in supporting the military in ongoing fight against Boko Haram insurgents. He approved salaries, kits and patrol vehicles for the civilian JTF while at the same time giving so much support to the Nigerian Armed Forces. He led in mobilisation of community based intelligence gathering and the provision of hundreds of patrol vehicles and material logistics to the military in particular and to all other security agencies. In September, 2014, Maiduguri, the seat of Government became very vulnerable to being occupied by insurgents. The fear was so intense that notable residents relocated their families to Abuja. However, amidst such fright, Governor Kashim Shettima who was out of the country for an official assignment, returned to Maiduguri in a show of courage and patriotism. On his return, the Governor mobilized residents towards rising up in defense of their ancestry. Although Maiduguri didn’t fall, the insurgents succeeded in occupying 20 out of the 27 local government areas of the State before the Nigerian Armed Forces liberated them between 2015 and 2016. The Governor had been coordinating and leading the temporary accommodation, rehabilitation and resettlement of victims of the Boko Haram insurgents. With peace building, Governor Kashim Shettima has been championing Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement of victims. He has focused so much attention on expansion and remodeling of existing schools and the building news boarding primary and junior secondary schools to cater for over 50, 000 unaccompanied orphans whose parents were killed by insurgents across the 27 local government areas of the State.

Governor Kashim Shettima’s leadership credentials have attracted positive recognition within and outside Nigeria. Governor Shettima emerged the 2014 Governor of the Year (Leadership Newspapers), Governor of the Year, 2015, (Nigeria Union of Journalists, national body); Governor of the Year, 2015 (NewsWatchTimes Newspapers); Governor of the Year, 2015 (Vanguard Newspapers); Governor of the Year, 2016 (Tell Magazine); 2017 Zik Prize for Leadership; Kaduna NUJ Award for courage and exceptional leadership (2017), FCT NUJ Merit Award for exceptional Leadership, 2017.

In February, 2019 he became the winner of the Borno Central Senatorial District election, thereby replacing Senator Babakaka Bashir. Borno Central Senatorial District comprises eight local government areas: Maiduguri, Jere, Konduga, Bama, Mafa, Dikwa, Ngala and Kala Balge.