Presidency dismisses rumoured rift between Tinubu, Shettima

The Presidency, on Sunday, debunked trending reports insinuating a subliminal crisis and rift between President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing it as mendacious propaganda.

It declared that the false report was merely an illusionary strife and smear campaign targeted at tarnishing the cordial relationship between Tinubu and Shettima. This came through the vice president’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, as Shettima marks his 58th birthday today (Monday).

“In the history of Nigeria’s presidency, no Vice President has enjoyed the total confidence and full support of his principal like Shettima. In return, his loyalty to his boss, President Tinubu, as attested by well-meaning Nigerians who have been keeping tabs on the goings-on in the presidency, is absolute and unalloyed.

“In a political landscape where loyalty is often tested, Vice President Shettima stands out as a beacon of dedication and commitment to his principal, President Tinubu. His unwavering support and teamwork demonstrate a refreshing shift towards harmonious collaboration, setting a positive tone for their administration,” Nkwocha said.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jesutega Onokpasa, has again appealed to President Tinubu to stop those around him from hounding former governors Nasir el-Rufai and Yahaya Bello of Kaduna and Kogi states, respectively. He maintained that the continued persecution of the ex-governors, despite the huge role they played in the emergence of Tinubu’s presidency was already making people scared of supporting the president in the future.

While addressing Tinubu in a video clip that has now gone viral, the popular Tinubu loyalist, Onokpasa, insinuated that those using the anti-graft agencies to persecute the former governors were doing so for their selfish interests. According to him, this is giving room for the speculation that APC is a party that uses and dumps loyalists, “stab them at the back and throw them under the bus.”

The APC chieftain and member of the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council also urged the president to forgive the former governors, whom he described as his sons in case they had offended him.

“These (Bello and El-Rufai) are our people, our dear northern compatriots that we relied on to come to power. We know where we won, we know where we lost, we know where our votes came from. This whole thing mystifies me, but nobody can give me any concrete information as to what Yahaya’s crime is, what is el-Rufai’s malfeasance to the extent that he would. “

I mean we were deceived that he has been nominated as a minister, then he goes there, somebody says there is a security report that disqualifies him from being a minister.

“The security report that didn’t disqualify him from being a minister, the one that didn’t disqualify him from being a two-term governor of Kaduna. So, suddenly, the same security report disqualified him from being a minister in this administration. Nobody takes these things seriously.

“With all that is available to me, it is all a witch-hunt. Some people are even boasting that they want to give Yahaya the Emefiele treatment. Yahaya took Emefiele to court on your behalf, for your good, for our collective good. He, alongside el-Rufai and Bello Matawalle. There is no need for all this.”

He maintained that he doesn’t want any appointment from this administration other than the demand for fairness as regards the former governors.