“Disrespecting Tinubu Will Not Make Me Disrespect You” – Shettima To Atiku

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has criticised Atiku Abubakar for his disrespectful comments about President Bola Tinubu. He recently had his say at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.

Stressing that Atiku’s repeated presidential bids and recent policy proposals do not excuse his disrespectful language toward the sitting president, Shettima stated that anyone seeking the presidency must show discipline and respect for public institutions.

Kashim added that the higher the office sought, the greater the responsibility candidates bear with their words and dealings.

His words, “Those who want equity must come with clean hands. You can call him Bola. If you like, you can call him Adekunle. But the truth is that he is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Atiku Abubakar. I will still respect him and call him his former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

I will not follow suit with the maverick Babachir Lawal and call him Kachalla, no. But believe me, Atiku Abubakar, who has contested for the presidency of this country for the eighth time, is no Abraham Lincoln. He is more of Oginga Odinga.

The presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not an ordinary political prize. It is the highest expression of constitutional authority in our country. And those who aspire to occupy it must demonstrate, even before they get there, the qualities they will expect of themselves, if entrusted with the responsibility of leading more than 200 million Nigerians.

Political ambition is not merely the desire to occupy public office. It is a test of character, cerebral strength, intellectual maturity, and responsibility. The higher the office a person seeks, the greater the discipline expected in his words, conduct, and relationship with public institutions.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this political season has become a masterclass in cinematic comedy. Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal for production subsidies raises questions that some changes cannot answer. Who pays? Who benefits? And which competing priorities must surrender their funding? A change in ideological wardrobe cannot balance a national budget.”