People With Presidential Aspirations Don’t Win – Gov. Shettima

[caption id="attachment_17011" align="alignnone" width="750"]Governor Kashim Shettima[/caption]

Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima has stated that people with presidential aspirations do not emerge president.

Shettima, who is currently in Oslo, Norway, for a humanitarian conference on Nigeria and Lake Chad, made the statement while reacting to claims that he (Shettima) should succeed Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s president.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Isa Gusau, the governor said that it was surprising that people could be talking about succession when a “cherished President is dealing with his health”.

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He stated that since 1979 till date, nobody with aspiration for the presidency has ever achieved it.

According to him, from Nigeria’s democratic history, people who emerged president were those invited to vie for the position.

“We have a sitting President, a popular one that we are all proud of for working more than anyone would have done in fighting the Boko Haram insurgency which is our number one problem in our state, the north-east and the Northern region,” Mr. Shettima said.

“How can anyone in his right thinking be talking about succession when a cherished President is dealing with his health? It would amount to moral insanity for anyone to be discussing succession of President Buhari at this time. What has gone wrong with our moral values? Has politics taken over our sanity? What is most precious to me is to have Boko Haram brought to an end and I don’t think anyone would have done better than what President Buhari is doing for us.

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This call does not represent the slightest of my thoughts.”

“Only a mad man blindly aspires to be Nigeria’s President if history is anything to go by. From 1979 to date, nobody with aspiration for the presidency has achieved it.

“President Shagari was invited to contest without aspiration in 1979; President Obasanjo was invited to contest without aspiration in 1999; President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was invited to contest without aspiration in 2007; President Jonathan who eventually succeeded Yar’Adua, was also invited to become Vice President without aspiration. Even President Buhari with his electrifying popularity didn’t win the presidency in his 2003, 2007 and 2011 aspirations until in 2015 when he was invited to contest.

“This is the complexity of Nigeria’s politics and any person with the slightest wisdom must learn from history and face his business of the day.”

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