“Tinubu Tried, Shettima Shouldn’t Have Lasted This Long As VP”  – Datti Baba-Ahmed

By Adesina Soyooye

Vice Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 General Elections, Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, has commended President Bola Tinubu for keeping Vice President Kashim Shettima this long  in office.

For Baba-Ahmed, Tinubu ought to have since dropped Shettima as his Vice President.

Baba Ahmed made this unexpected dusclosure during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time anchored by Charles Aniagolu.

Asked about the speculation that Shettima’s position as Tinubu’s running mate is shaky, Baba-Ahmed praised Tinubu for enduring Shettima  this long. The President ought to have replaced him, Baba-Ahmed said. Tinubu Shouldn’t have allowed Shettima to stay this long, he added. Shettima is lucky to still be Vice President, he emphasized.

Weighing-in on Tinubu’s side if he eventually drops Shettima as running  mate, Baba-Ahmed said: “I don’t blame Tinubu because whoever knows what Shettima did and does will not even allow him to last this long. The airwaves cannot carry it. I’m telling you, the airwaves cannot carry it. And I know I’m speaking on TV. So, Tinubu has tried keeping him this long. So, even the consideration that he be dropped, I think Tinubu has tried for keeping him this long.”

In recent weeks, speculations have been strong that that there are plans to replace Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027.

At an APC Zonal event in Gombe where Tinubu was unanimously adopted as the candidate for 2027, Shettima’s name was not mentioned. It triggered a rowdy protest, instuctively, led by the Governor of Borno State, Professor Zulum who, with microphone in hand, was almost jumping chairs, while shouting in protest. The protest went physical.At least, one person carried a chair and was headed for the Zonal National Vice Chairman who read the communique that did not contain Shettima’s name as Tinubu’s running mate.

The Party official and the immediate past National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, had to be escorted out to save their heads  by security agents.