Tinubu's starting point might not be rosy, Shettima warns Nigerians

The Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, has urged Nigerians to brace up for what might be a turbulent start for the incoming administration of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The former Borno State Governor's warning comes as a precaution to managing the expectations of some Nigerians about the incoming government.

The duo of Tinubu and Shettima are expected to be sworn in as President and Vice President on Monday, May 29, 2023, marking the end of President Muhammadu Buhari's two four-year terms.

Speaking at the 2023 Presidential Inauguration Public Lecture at the National Mosque, Abuja, on Friday, May 26, 2023, the Vice President-elect tempered expectations by suggesting that the task before the incoming government will come with some discomfort for Nigerians at the onset.

Shettima said: “The starting point might not be rosy, let me be very honest with you. The oil subsidy has become an albatross around our necks. The multiple exchange rates system is a drain on the national economy and creates a dual economic system.”

“There are certain decisions that the new administration will take, but in the fullness of time, Nigerians will come not only to appreciate but also to celebrate us.”

While acknowledging the enormity of the task ahead, Shettima agreed that the incoming administration doesn't have the luxury of time as the challenges facing the nation require urgent actions.

“As the Chinese will say, ‘The worst curse that a Chinese man may wish on you is for you to live in interesting times.’ And indeed, we are living in interesting times. But rest assured that in the fullness of time, Nigerians will come to pay glowing tributes to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

The Vice President-elect, who described power as the “most ephemeral” of God’s gifts to humanity, argued that a person's pedigree doesn't make them who they are.

He went on to describe his principal, Tinubu, as a pure-minded leader who would be fair to all Nigerians irrespective of differences in political affiliations, religious persuasions, and tribal or sectional backgrounds.

Shettima said, “We’re here — we’re leaders — not because of our intellect. Neither Kashim Shettima nor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu holds any PhD degree. We are what we are not because of our physical powers. We are what we are, not because of our political sagacity. There are better politicians.

“Power, to us, will be a humbling experience. It’s an opportunity to serve God and humanity. And whether we accept it or not, we are going to spend more years of our lives outside power than in power,”

“We’re all united by our common heritage of poverty, destitution and insecurity. This is the time for all of us to coalesce into a single force.”