Why Tinubu will win 2027 poll –Shettima

•Osun guber shows Tinubu is a democrat

Convener, Northern Stakeholders Consultative Initiatives (NSCI), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, has accused the United States of blackmailing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because he has stood his ground and demonstrated that Nigeria is a sovereign country. According to him, Tinubu’s refusal to act the script of Donald Trump, has irked the US president, leading to the so-called FBI report on the Nigerian president.

In an interview with VINCENT KALU, the former leader of the Arewa youths, noted that Tinubu has performed excellently in the various sectors of the economy, noting that  the president’s re-election is assured. He also emphasised the great achievement the president has made in tackling insecurity. 

What is your take on the just concluded Osun State governorship election?

The pre-election, post-election and the outcome of the Osun State election, show a clear demonstration that today, we have a man at the helm of affairs, who truly believes in democratic principles, and that person is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has shown that he is a product of democracy, by allowing the wishes of the people to prevail at the end of the election. This is contrary to what was obtainable in the time of his predecessors, who didn’t believe that they should lose an election. No matter what it took, they would always want to manoeuvre to make sure the election went in their own favour.

What Tinubu did was to allow the rule of law to prevail. He allowed democracy to prevail. He allowed people to decide and the people decided. That was exactly what happened, and it’s a clear indication that he is not anti-democratic; it’s a clear demonstration that he so much believes in the country, believes in peace and unity of this country, which he has fought for.

Some of us who know him from not far away can tell that he was part and parcel of the struggle against the military dictatorship. So, any step he takes, he is mindful of the sacrifice that so many of us have made in the past, and that is the reason he allowed things to work naturally, which was clearly demonstrated in the Osun election. For us, it is a democracy in progress.

He didn’t lose; he demonstrated what was expected of him, and we also know that he will not interfere with the 2027 election; he will allow the people to decide.

People are wiser and smarter now; they know what he has done in his first term, and there is no doubt that Nigerians will definitely support him because he has done well for the country.

The presidential campaign kicked off last week. What do you think should be the issues?

The issues should be our economy, security, welfare, health, infrastructure, etc. These are exactly what the Tinubu government stood for, and has been doing over time. If you look at our educational sector, we have a government that for the first in the last three years, we have never experienced any major strike by academic or non-academic staff unions of higher institutions. You can see that people are no longer complaining much when it comes to the issue of health generally, and there has not been any major strike in the health sector. When you come to infrastructure, of course you can see the network of roads; road projects are ongoing everywhere, and people are smiling as they travel on the superb roads, which we have never had in the history of this country.

When you talk about insecurity, you should know that it is something that he inherited, but today, whether you like it or not, he has overcome the challenge by almost 50 per cent. And I’m sure that after the election, he will do the needful so that Nigerians will start sleeping with both eyes closed. I’m sure whoever will succeed him after his second term will have lesser things to do in the governance. Tinubu is working; that’s just the summary of what I’m saying about his style of leadership.

You said insecurity has come down drastically, but in the last two weeks, over 69 people were killed in Plateau, Sokoto and Katsina states. How can you make such an assertion?

There is no place in this world that is secured. Even in America, we have seen situations where people have been attacked in one way or the other. The issue of insecurity is a global challenge. So, if we are having 60 or 70 casualties in the last one week, what happened in the previous weeks that we never recorded any killings? These things are natural things. We are not saying it is right; every life matters. I’m not saying 60 or 70 is a small number. But don’t forget that this is an electioneering period where people would naturally want to make it appear as if we’re in a war in order to get what they wanted. Don’t forget that we are in a very dicey period, and we should expect more. As they go along doing it, whether you like it or not, we’ve never had it so smooth or better than we’re having it now. We had a situation during Jonathan’s regime, when the insecurity was so serious at the time of election that the NSA, Dasuki Sambo asked for an extension of the election to get it right.

Naturally, in an election period like this, you will expect people to become more aggressive, more desperate, and on one side, you have people who want to come to power by any means; they have their people to sponsor, and on the other side, you have all the criminal minded people who will also want to take advantage of all of these things together. This is all encompassing. So, our case will not be different from any other part of the world. Don’t forget during an election period even in America, we have seen where a president was shot while on a stage. Not that those things are normal, but unfortunately, we find ourselves in a situation where it’s a global thing. We hope that one day we shall overcome the challenge, but whether you like it or not; whether you agree with me or not, the fact remains that Tinubu is on the top of the game, and he is doing well. We need to encourage our Nigerian armed forces, and also commend the armed forces chiefs because they have been doing perfectly well. I’m sure, with time we shall overcome. Nobody will say that we expect to have a society where there will not be crime. No society is free of crime anywhere in the world. So, our case will not be different from others. There’s no way we’ll pretend that all is well. Yes, it’s not well, but we’re getting it better than it was in the past.

The opposition parties have accused the APC Campaign Council of comprising people facing investigations for corruption.

Let me be specific, the case of Beta Edu is still an allegation; she has not been found guilty and convicted by a competent court. Maybe the matter is before the anti-graft agency or probably in the court, but I don’t know because the last I knew was when the issue came up and we never heard anything about her conviction. So, if she’s not yet convicted, she remains innocent until proven by a competent court and to that extent, it doesn’t take away her rights of being a Nigerian; it does not take away her right of being a member of APC; it does not take away her rights of supporting the president or working for another interest she chooses to. It is when she’s been proven guilty, you can then say, she was supposed to be in prison, but has been nominated to be part of the campaign team for the president.

Atiku has gone to court compelling INEC to disqualify Tinubu from contesting the election on the allegation of forgery of his certificates. What’s your view on this?

Those are stories I’ve heard for the last 20 years or so. People would bring rumours, noises of no certificates here and there, but at the end of the day, they cannot prove their cases. And this has been on over and over.

Many people are also talking about the president, asking where the certificates that qualified him to enter university are. What do you say to that?

I don’t believe that it is possible for somebody not to submit documents and emerge as a candidate and even contest an election by all standards or procedures. So, I refuse to agree that Tinubu does not have certificates until the INEC comes out publicly to tell us that he doesn’t have certificates.\ But mere pronouncement by an opposition or blackmail by any diverse interest or whatever is what I don’t believe. It’s not possible. The president does not own INEC. The electoral body is a very independent institution.

We have heard this case of the president not graduating from a university, but now I’m happy to hear that you even mentioned that he filed his degree certificate. Initially, it was the same story that he never had any degree; he had not been to Chicago or whatever. At the end of the day that issue is cleared. Now, they have come back again singing different songs.

How could somebody who has not gone to primary, secondary schools, read and write become an accountant way back with Mobil? How is that possible? Before he even went into politics, he was an accountant. How manage?

Let us stop these childish stories; we have gone beyond all of this. Let the INEC write to him to file his primary and secondary school certificates if they are necessary.

Former Chief of Army Staff, Burantai is urging Nigerians to stand on the side of Tinubu over the release of his records with the FBI. Do you agree with Burantai?

This western world has a way of doing things; once you don’t fall into their traps, and you don’t act on their scripts, they will create one issue or the other against you. We saw that during Abacha’s regime, even though it was a military government. We saw when he stood against them, and demonstrated that we are a sovereign nation, and as such, we should be allowed to run our affairs independently as a sovereign country, and he had issues with western nations.

Tinubu has stood his ground and demonstrated that Nigeria is a sovereign country, and to that extent, you do not expect America under the watch of Trump, not to find fault in him. Trump sees the world as his own personal empire, and business interest. If you don’t keep to what he wants or what he’s asking for, definitely you see him behaving funny. We are not new to all of these gimmicks. We are a sovereign nation, and as such, America doesn’t have anything to add to us as a sovereign country. So, whatever they want to do will not change our mindset about our president that we are so proud of; it will not change our people’s mindset as a nation of our own. If there’s any document, which they want to release, let them go ahead and do it. Severally, they have made all those attempts and blackmail. In fact, there was a time America predicted that Nigeria might not live to survive 2015; that there will be no country, as Nigeria will disintegrate.

So, to that extent, we can’t be intimidated by the mere rhetoric of saying they have a damning report about the president. Let them go ahead and release it if they have anything. Nobody’s afraid of them.

President Tinubu has named the some states in the Middle Belt where ranches will be established. But people in the Middle Belt are protesting. What’s your position on this?

Protest is their fundamental right. Any group, individual or people can go and protest and say this is what they want, this is what they don’t want. But what matters before us is that if the government in their own wisdom believes and deems it fit that there’s a need for us to have ranches in a particular designated area, there’s nothing wrong with that.

That is why you have a government. Government is government, no matter what you think.

I don’t think this was an idea being nursed for ill intention against any section of the country. We keep writing, rewriting negative things about ourselves; making it look as if we’re in a state of war. What is wrong about the ranching? Initially, we say there is crisis between the farmers and headers, and now the government came up with their own initiatives to find a lasting solution to the problem by creating ranches so that at the end of the day, you won’t complain that somebody got to your farm and something went wrong, and now, you are kicking against it. Are we no longer Nigerians together? If you are Nigerians, why are you questioning the intent of the government to resolve the problem once and for all.  The President in his own wisdom has looked inward and I’m sure they must have formed a committee that made the recommendation to them and they want to work on the script. So, it’s the right of anybody to come out and protest and say whatever he wants to say. But, as long as the government meant well, they should go ahead and do it.

Recently, Sheikh Yahya Jingir, during a public function, said that the Muslim- Muslim ticket of President Tinubu has come to stay. He also described Nigeria as an Islamic State. What’s your take on this?

You’ve always known me to be very liberal when it comes to the issue of religion. I am a Nigerian, and I believe strongly in Nigeria. When it comes to the issue of religion, Jingir has his opinion. If that is his opinion, let him take responsibility. Some people disagreed with him.

Of course, in my personal capacity, of course, you know me; I’ve always believed that all of us are partners in this country; both the Christian and the Muslim, for me, are just one country.

And to that extent, I strongly believe that’s his own personal opinion.

This country cannot stand on its own without both parties coming together and agreeing to work together, and that’s how it has been ordained by God.

This is my position on that. I don’t want to go deeply into that issue of religious matters.