Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the 2023 presidential election as the most divisive in the history of Nigeria while claiming that politicians deliberately manipulated the nation’s fault lines for political gains.
Speaking as a special guest of honour at the launch of a book written by veteran journalist and columnist, Sam Omatseye, on President Bola Tinubu’s journey to the Presidency, Shettima said despite all the political scheming by politicians and exploitation of the nation’s fault lines, Nigerians ignored the ethno-religious manipulations to choose the best candidates.
He said;
“The last election certainly was the most divisive in the history of this country. All the ethno-religious fault lines that divide this nation were deliberately manipulated for political ends. But it is interesting to note that the most Christian of northern states is Benue state. The Nigerian candidate defeated a religious candidate in Benue state.
“The most northern of northern states is Sokoto. A Nigerian candidate lost to the regional candidate by a mere 5000 votes and the APC went on to win two Senate seats, the…..and the majority of House of Representatives seat. And the most Christian in the South-South state is Rivers, the Nigerian candidate defeated a religious candidate in Rivers. So there is cause for celebration. One thing I believe is that what binds us together supersedes whatever divides us.
“Some of the journalists in this room, I don’t want to mention their names to avoid embarrassing their person, they are of the Christian faith but they were the most vociferous proponents of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s candidature. They are men and women of integrity who stood for what is right”
On the current challenges the country is facing, Shettima said;
“Be rest assured that the President has Nigeria in his mind. Yes, we are having challenges we are not denying that. And we are not here to apportion blame. Leadership is about accepting responsibility and finding solutions to national challenges.
“The president is a man of courage and conviction. In his one week in office, he took far-reaching decisions. The oil subsidy has been an albatross round the neck of the Nigerian economy and the Nigerian nation. He took the bull by the horns and withdrew the fuel subsidy from day one. He was able to collapse the multiple exchange rate regime that gave room for a lot of hanky-panky. Be rest assured that in the fullness of time, history would be kind to him”
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