VICE-PRESIDENT Kashim Shettima has taken a swipe at former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his repeated references to President Bola Tinubu by his first name, insisting that Tinubu remains the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces regardless of how his political opponents choose to address him.
News Point Nigeria reports that Shettima spoke on Wednesday at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he also criticised Atiku’s repeated presidential bids and questioned the economic prescriptions of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Read also: APC Slams Atiku For Addressing Tinubu As ‘Bola’, Says 2027 Campaign Will Focus On Achievements
Reacting to Atiku’s repeated use of Tinubu’s first name, Shettima said the President’s constitutional position remained unchanged, irrespective of the manner in which the former vice-president addressed him.
“Those who come to equity must come with clean hands. You can call him Bola. If you like, you can call him Adekunle. But the truth is that he is the president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the federal Republic of Nigeria,” Shettima said.
The vice-president also criticised Atiku’s repeated attempts to become president, comparing the former vice-president to Raila Odinga, Kenya’s former prime minister, who unsuccessfully contested the country’s presidency several times.
Shettima said Atiku could not be compared with Abraham Lincoln, the former United States president revered for his role in ending slavery. Lincoln served as US president from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.
However, Shettima said he would continue to accord Atiku respect despite what he described as the former vice-president’s attitude towards Tinubu.
“Atiku Abubakar, I will still respect him and call him a former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar,” he said.
“I will not follow suit with Lawal and call him Kachalla. No. But believe me, Atiku Abubakar, who has contested for the presidency of this country for the eighth time, is no Abraham Lincoln. He is more of Odinga Odinga.”
The vice-president maintained that political ambition must be matched by character, discipline and an understanding of the responsibilities associated with public office.
Shettima also criticised Obi, questioning his economic prescriptions and claims about the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
He argued that Nigeria’s population, size and economic realities made it unsuitable for policies copied from other countries without adapting them to local circumstances.
Read also: ‘Nothing To Fear If Tinubu Wins Second Term’, Shettima To Northern Leaders
“A country of over 250 million people cannot be governed through borrowed statistics and economic prescriptions detached from its peculiarities,” Shettima said.
He added that policies that worked in Bangladesh could not simply be transplanted to Nigeria without considering differences in population, economic structures, institutions and other national circumstances.
“I respect Peter Obi. But he has gone beyond his mastery of philosophy to make august claim about winning the 2023 presidential election without adducing a shred of evidence to buttress his assertion,” Shettima said.
He described Obi as “the master of bogus statistics and incoherent economic prescriptions”, comparing the challenge of applying foreign policies to Nigeria to fitting a garment designed for a smaller body onto a much larger one.
Despite his criticisms of the opposition figures, Shettima urged members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council to treat political opponents with respect, describing them as fellow Nigerians rather than enemies.
“For the rest of the duration of this campaign, we’ll discuss ideas, we’ll discuss policies, but we’ll treat all our opponents with respect and dignity. They are not our enemies. They are our brothers. They are our countrymen. They are our leaders,” he said.
He warned APC campaigners against engaging in exchanges of insults, urging them instead to respond to criticism with evidence, facts and reason.
“We have the capacity to respond to all sorts of innuendos and outright lies that our political opponents are taking on. But we won’t fall into their traps. We’ll give them facts,” he said.
“We’ll give them statistics. We argue with reason, not with sentiments, not with exaggerated truth or fabricated lies.”
Read also: Court Fixes November 20 To Decide Atiku’s Bid To Amend Tinubu Disqualification Suit
Shettima further argued that Tinubu deserved a second term because the administration’s reform programme had gained momentum that Nigeria could not afford to lose.
He urged members of the presidential campaign council to take the administration’s case to communities across the country, listen to voters and explain its policies and achievements as they campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.
