The ‘See Finish’ Impunity Of Tinubu’s Muslim/Muslim Ticket
The Oasis Reporters
July 11, 2022
Many Nigerians have likened Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pick of Kassim Shettima as his running mate as the flight of a bat, flying blind and oblivious of the current realities in Nigeria.
Social media influencer, Aisha Yesufu, herself believed to be a devout Muslim, calls the insensitivity, a case of “see finish”.
A Muslim-Muslim ticket is an insult to fairness, equity and justice. It is see finish. It is impunity of the worst kind.
It is disrespect to people of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
It shows they have little regards for people and think their structure is more valuable.— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) July 10, 2022
Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate has picked Kassim Shettima as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
On announcing Senator Kashim Shettima as my running mate/Vice Presidential Candidate.@KashimSM
♾ pic.twitter.com/o3TbNWw7gw— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) July 10, 2022
In Tinubu’s choice of Shettima, he seems to be casting his nostalgia back to the time Chief MKO Abiola picked a Kanuri Muslim to run with on a Muslim/ Muslim ticket that was widely backed by Christians and Muslims all over the country. The ticket won, but the duo were not sworn-in. MKO Abiola finally died under the custody of a successor military government led by Abdulsalami Abubakar who succeeded General Sani Abacha, the Kanuri born officer who had toppled the Interim Government put in place by General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida the man who annulled the freest and fairest election ever held in Nigeria.
Chief MKO Abiola had picked Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, a Kanuri from the north east of Nigeria during the near peaceful time in Nigeria’s evolution.
This time around, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has gone to the same north east and equally picked a Kanuri, Kassim Shettima but this time, under a turbulent period of deadly Islamist insurgency of Boko Haram driven mainly by Kanuri born insurgents.
Shettima is widely remembered and known as the governor of Borno State under whose watch the infamous Chibok girls kidnap saga happened after he had ignored the advice from federal authorities that the Chibok girls school should be evacuated based on credible intelligence reports.
A good number of the Chibok girls have been forcibly married off.
UNICEF says only 45% of girls go to school in the north.
Bornu State itself is roughly divided into the North that is predominantly Muslim while the southern end is largely Christian, facing constant deadly attacks from islamists for being minority tribes elements and Christians.
Analysts predict that the Tinubu ticket may have shot itself in the foot because the North East has a significant Christian and minorities population who may either vote the PDP or Labour Party.
