Director New Media, Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Femi Fani-Kayode, has dismissed the allegation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) PCC that APC vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, will open offices for Boko Haram at the Aso Rock Villa if APC wins presidential election next year.
A statement by the spokesperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign Management Committee, Dino Melaye, had described Shettima as grand commander of bandits”, the criminal elements unleashing terror across the country.
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Melaye alleged:
Overwhelmed by the conviviality of a civil atmosphere, Shettima, the Grand Commander of bandits and the running mate of the presidential candidate of APC, who has gathered enough funds from his field soldiers to be so intoxicated as to engage in a verbal gibberish that is only permissible in Sambisa Forest.
He has been seen in a footage where he was exciting a rented crowd with whimsical pot shots at Atiku Abubakar. It was the same hallucination that made Shettima to have defined an illusory presidency where he would create an office for Boko Haram in the villa, with him in charge of the security of our precious Nigeria.
However, replying his allegation, FFK described the allegation against Shetimma as absurd, designed to terrify the people and make them feel that APC is a party of terrorists and its candidate, Bola Tinubu, a man that condone terrorism.
Melaye outburst is absolute nonsense. These are nonsensical words, spoken on behalf of a nonsensical man, who is running a nonsensical campaign.
The truth of the matter is that the person that will set up all sorts of extra-constitutional offices in the Villa, if ever is able to get there is Atiku Abubakar himself. That is what we need to fear.
The assertion that Melaye is making, is at the consequences of the failure of his candidate’s campaign within and outside Nigeria. They went to America, they went to France, they went all over the world, crawling in the corridors of those in power in the places they went and nobody was prepared to see them or discuss with them.
So, they are drowning fast and instead of focusing on the issues and stay at home and with hard, the way our candidate (Tinubu) is going. What they are doing is throwing stones, hauling bricks at us, insulting us and making absurd claims about our presidential candidate and our vice presidential candidate.
But let me remind them that at the end, it is Nigerians who will decide. It will not be decided in Paris or Washington or Dubai, it will be decided by Nigerians. All I want them to know is that we are going to defeat them at the polls and that is what matters to us.
On the allegation that Shetimma is the Commander-in-Chief of Boko Haram, FFK replied:
The allegation against Shetimma is absurd, it is designed to terrify the people and make them feel that APC is a party of terrorists and that our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a man that condone terrorism.
Dino’s statement is a direct attack on our vice presudential candidate. It has no bases. This allegation has been investigated over and over again. All these while there have been no evidence adduced to suggest that it is true and actually it not true.
Shetimma is a refined, decent and godly man, who simply want to help his nation and ensure we move forward as a people. If you look at his record in Borno State as a governor, before he went to serve as Senator, you will see what he did. If you look at his successor in office – Baba Gana Zulum, he too is doing a great job in Borno.
That is not a legacy of a terrorist. What we have in Borno is a legacy of a great leader, that is what Shetimma stands for.
FFK boasted:
So, for anybody to try to smear his name this way, is a reflection of that person more than anything else. Not only was it a reflection of Melaye himself, it is also a reflection of the man (Atiku) he is speaking for.
I can tell you that Atiku Abubakar is a trait of, who continuously betrayed everybody that has worked with him, including President Obasanjo, late Gen. Yar’Adua, late President Yar’Adua, including APC and the PDP. His record of public office is betrayal. At the end of the day, he will betray PDP again. You remember, he betrayed the governors of his party. He broke his words and Melaye is saying this is the man that should be President of our country. No way.
The truth is that Shetimma is 100 times a better man and we will prove that at the polls. We will defeat Atiku even in his local government area in Adamawa state by the grace of God.
