Reactions have trailed an alleged comment by the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kashim Shettima that the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and late dictator, Gen Sani Abacha are alike.
Shettima who spoke at the 96th-anniversary celebration of the Yoruba Tennis Club in Ikoyi on Thursday, was quoted as saying “we need a leader with a dose of ruthlessness and taciturnity of General Sani Abacha…There is no one, with all due respect, that fits this better than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
“We need a leader with the patience and sense of responsibility and commitment, and somebody who understands the national psyche and mood of the nation of an Abdulsalami Abubakar, and in applicable circumstance, we need a leader with a dose of ruthlessness and taciturnity of General Sani Abacha.
“We need a leader that has established such records of excellence and commitment to good governance. There is no one, with all due respect, that fits this better than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Shettima said.
The statement has caused reactions on Twitter while Shettima and APC presidential campaign spokesman, Festus Keyamo both have said that the statement was intentionally taken out of context.
Shettima tweeted, @KashimSM I never attributed hospitality to Abacha in my speech. I did a rundown of our past Presidents and played up “the taciturnity and a dose of ruthlessness of a Sani Abacha” to show we need strongmen to deal with the nonstate actors who’ve turned Nigeria into a vast killing-field. 2/
Keyamo also tweeted, @fkeyamo Fake news purveyors, as always. As shown in the video below, @KashimSM never attributed hospitality to Abacha. He only played up “the taciturnity and a dose of ruthlessness of a Sani Abacha” to show we need strongmen to deal with the non state actors who want to disrupt our peace
Some reactions curated by The Quest Times
@iykimo Abacha stole $5bn GMB destroyed the economy, divided Nigerians into 97% vs 5% & supervised insecurity in 35 states. Shettima is warning Nigerians codedly
@firstladyship Shettima saying Nigeria needs Abacha’s hospitality, & Buhari’s commitment, & then adding that Tinubu embodies the 2 qualities, that’s a threat to your lives. Run for your dear lives by rejecting those who want to grab power & silence u by all means necessary. You’ve been warned!
@novieverest Shettima-Tinubu is the combination of Abacha and Buhari. That is a combination of looting and poor governance. God abeg
@Letter_to_Jack He is not tone deaf, this is what he thinks of Sanni Abacha, and he’s someone who really does not care about being politically correct—blunt asf. This is why the thought of Shettima around Aso Rock terrifies me more than the prospect of any other active politician right now.
@SirHenry_ That Shettima could invoke his admiration for Abacha even when he hasn’t won the election should be setting off alarm bells in the ears of everyone, including BAT supporters. He doesn’t give a fuck now. Imagine what he will now if you give him power.
@shehusky Shettima says “Tinubu will give Nigerians friendly leadership like Sanni Abacha”. So, Abacha the tyrant is a friendly leader. Abacha the biggest thief ever to come out of Nigeria is a friendly leader. Is this mockery of Nigerians or insult? God pls help us.
@Tope_soft Shettima is bold Sha. He came to Ikoyi to tell the audience from this part of Nigeria, who mostly endured Abacha’s brutality, that Abacha was a model of governance that Tinubu would follow. Not like he went to Kano to say that! I Wan mad. Which kain liver e Chop?
By The Quest Times
