Tribunal Judgment: Atiku Slams Vice President Shettima Over Retirement Joke

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential contender for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and a former vice president of Nigeria, has stated that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s only accomplishment was to turn Borno State from “the Home of Peace” into a fiery hell…..CONTINUE READING…CONTINUE READING

Atiku said this in a statement issued by his special assistant on public communications, Phrank Shaibu, in response to Shettima’s joke about him shortly after the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) decision.

“Atiku Abubakar is an elder statesman that I hold in very high esteem, and anybody who knows the social-cultural interaction between the Fulanis and the Kanuris in the North will know that I have the liberty to haul all insults at him, and he will bear,” said Vice President Shettima on Wednesday, fielding questions following the tribunal’s ruling.

“We are not going to retire him to Dubai or Morocco. I will retire him to Fombina. I will buy him goats, broilers and layers so that he can spend his days rearing goats and broilers, but on a joking side,” the Vice President said.

In response, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar stated that Shettima had failed miserably as governor and chief security officer of Borno State.

According to the statement, Shettima, who has the worst administration record in Nigerian history and has been unable to bring the people of Borno State out of poverty, is intending to invest in Atiku.

“He (Shettima) loves to crack lacklustre jokes at every given opportunity. Last year, he said Vice-President Osinbajo should have been an ice cream man instead of a politician. Later on, he said Nigeria needed a leader like Sani Abacha.

“As part of his circus act, he visited the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in an oversized suit, a pair of sneakers and a poorly knotted tie. Shettima needs to decide if he wants to be a statesman or Baba Sala of blessed memory.

“His behaviour is certainly unbefitting for a man who currently holds the exalted office of Vice-President, even if temporarily.”

Shaibu stated that Shettima’s stock in trade had become deriding others since he had nothing noteworthy to say about himself or his boss, Bola Tinubu, whose three months in power had only worsened poverty and inflation.

He described how Shettima was chosen as commissioner for finance and then became governor of Borno State, and how those who brought him into government had high expectations for him because he had previously worked in the financial industry.

“During his tenure as governor between 2011 and 2019, Borno State was taken over by terrorists completely.

“He ignored a security report about an impending attack on Chibok which ultimately led to the abduction of over 250 schoolgirls.

“Specifically, the head of WAEC’s National Office in Nigeria, Charles Eguridu, stated in 2014 that WAEC had informed Shettima about the danger of holding exams in Chibok and advised that the students be relocated to Maiduguri which was relatively safer.

“Shettima refused to relocate the students and they were abducted, half of whom have not been seen again till today.

“Even though he left government four years ago, the millions of residents of Borno State have yet to recover from the mistake called Shettima. Rather than be penitent, he continues to move about like a clown, making unsolicited dry jokes about others.”

Shaibu asked the Vice-President to continue praying to God for forgiveness for interfering with the fate of millions of Borno people.

“We advise Kashim Shettima to spend the remainder of his days praying to God every day for forgiveness for destroying the lives of the millions of people of Borno State rather than making dry and insipid jokes at those who have actually bettered the lives of people.

“His lack of sophistication is eroding the elegance of the Office of the Vice-President. Men of honour have held that position in the past and Shettima should learn from the examples they led in public decency.

“In any case, he would do well by attending a finishing school on Atiku’s scholarship and learn how to behave like a polished statesman,” Shaibu said…..CONTINUE READING