By John Danjuma

All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate and National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday picked Senator Kashim Shettima as his Vice Presidential candidate.

Tinubu made the disclosure to journalists at the Daura residence of President Muhammadu Buhari.

A statement by Director, Media and Communication, Tinubu Campaign Organisation Bayo Onanuga indicated that the APC touche bearer arrived Daura Sunday afternoon to pay Sallah homage to President Buhari who is in his native home for the Sallah holiday.

The statement explained that the vice presidential candidate Senator Shettima is the immediate past Governor of Borno State and also close associate of Tinubu who has been a staunch supporter and campaigner for the choice of Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria.

He toured many states with Tinubu since December 2021 where he addressed party delegates and mobilised support for the former Governor of Lagos State.
Earlier, the Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Masari, had withdrawn from the 2023 presidential race as running mate to the APC candidate.

Before his withdrawal, Masari was nominated as ‘placeholder’ running mate to Tinubu in order to allow the latter ample time to eventually nominate the right running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

In a statement signed by Masari and issued from Saudi Arabia on Sunday, titled, ‘Resignation As APC Vice Presidential Nominee’, he said he was stepping down “after much reflection and wider consultations.”

Who is Senator Shettima?

As governor of Borno State between 2011 and 2019, the 56 year old Kashim Ibrahim Shettima ran his government on the similar template used by Bola Tinubu in Lagos.

Despite the Boko Haram insurgency, he was able to build world class schools, housing and he also tapped in Human Resources outside his state.

Among his closest aides were an Ibo Christian from Anambra State in the Southeast, an Urhobo Christian from Delta State in the South-South, a Christian from Edo State in the South-South, a Yoruba Christian from the Southwest, a Fulani man from Gombe in the northeast and a Hausa man from Zamfara State in the northwest.

He was born on the 2 September, 1966 to the family of Sir Kashim Ibrahim. He is married to Nana Shettima, and they have three children: two females and a male.

In a Wikipedia biography, Sen. Kashim attended Lamisula Primary School in Maiduguri from 1972 to 1978; Government Community Secondary School, Biu in southern part of Borno State from 1978 to 1980; transferred to Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum (now in neighbouring Yobe State) where he completed his secondary education in 1983. He studied at the University of Maiduguri and earned a Degree (BSc) in Agricultural Economics in 1989. He had his one-year compulsory membership of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, at the defunct Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative Bank, Calabar, capital of Cross River State in South-South, Nigeria, from 1989 to 1990.

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He obtained a master’s degree (MSc) in Agricultural Economics in 1991 at the University of Ibadan in Southwest, Nigeria. Shettima joined the University of Maiduguri as a Lecturer with the Department of Agricultural Economics and was in the academia from 1991 to 1993.

Early career:

In 1993, he moved into the banking sector and was employed by (now defunct) Commercial Bank of Africa Limited as head of accounts unit at the bank’s office in Ikeja, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria.

Shettima was there from 1993 to 1997. In 1997 he crossed over to the African International Bank Limited as a Deputy Manager and rose to become a Manager in 2001. In 2001, he moved to the Zenith Bank as head of its main branch in Maiduguri. At the Zenith Bank he rose to Senior Manager/Branch Head; Assistant General Manager (AGM)/Zonal Head (North-East), Deputy General Manager/Zonal Head (North-East) before he stepped out of the Zenith Bank as a General Manager in 2007 following his appointment as Commissioner for Finance in Borno State.

Shettima worked with the Commercial Bank of Africa as an Agricultural Economist at its Ikeja Office, Lagos State (1993-1997). He then became a deputy manager, later manager, at the African International Bank Limited, Kaduna Branch (1997–2001), and was appointed Deputy Manager/Branch Head of the Zenith Bank’s Maiduguri Office in 2001, becoming General Manager five years later. In mid-2007, Shettima was appointed Commissioner of the Borno State Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. Later he became Commissioner in the Ministries of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Education, Agriculture and later Health under his predecessor as Borno Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.

Political career:

From 2007 to 2011, he served as Commissioner in 5 Ministries. In the January 2011 ANPP primaries, Engineer Modu Fannami Gubio was selected as candidate for the governorship. However, Gubio was later shot dead by gunmen, and Shettima was selected in a second primary in February 2011.

In the 26 April 2011 elections, Shettima won with 531,147 votes while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Muhammed Goni, gained 450,140 votes.

He won reelection in 2015 under the All Progressives Congress, APC and was unambiguously chosen as Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, an umbrella body of Governors in the 19 States located in northern Nigeria. He has so far been driving key changes in the affairs of the forum with focus on promoting northern unity and reviving ailing industries belonging to northern States.

As Governor of Borno State, he efficiently managed challenges arising from the Boko Haram insurgency which he inherited in 2011. With the approval of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Army in 2013, his government formalised establishment of youth volunteers called the Civilian JTF.

Senator Kashim Shettima’s leadership credentials have attracted positive recognition within and outside Nigeria. Governor Shettima emerged the 2014 Governor of the Year (Leadership Newspapers), Governor of the Year, 2015, (Nigeria Union of Journalists, national body); Governor of the Year, 2015 (NewsWatchTimes Newspapers); Governor of the Year, 2015 (Vanguard Newspapers); Governor of the Year, 2016 (Tell Magazine); 2017 Zik Prize for Leadership; Kaduna NUJ Award for courage and exceptional leadership (2017), FCT NUJ Merit Award for exceptional Leadership, 2017.

In February, 2019 he became the winner of the Borno Central Senatorial District election, thereby replacing Senator Babakaka Bashir.

Borno Central Senatorial District comprises eight local government areas: Maiduguri, Jere, Konduga, Bama, Mafa, Dikwa, Ngala and Kala Balge.