Shettima’s Aide Speaks On Rift In The Presidency

The Spokesman to Vice President, Kashim Shettima, Stanley Nwokocha, has dismissed unconfirmed reports suggesting a seeming rift in the presidency over claims that his principal’s office is being undermined and sidelined.

Naija News reports that Nwokocha, in an interview with Leadership, stated that Shettima is committed to Nigeria’s economic growth, unity, national stability and the actualisation of President Bola Tinubu‘s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to him, Shettima has always been a beehive of activities, from holding meetings with government agencies to chairing discussions on the administration’s programme, initiatives and interventions.

Nwokocha asserted that Shettima and Tinubu remain unshaken, adding that opposition parties do not necessarily need to sabotage the government of the day by creating bad blood among leaders in the selfish bid to grab power at all cost.

He said, “I think you answered that question yourself when you referred to them as ‘unconfirmed reports’. It means you are also aware that these are fictitious narratives which all well-meaning Nigerians have continued to ignore.

“They know very well that these reports fly in the face of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s personal commitment to Nigeria’s economic growth, unity, national stability and the actualisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Which office of the Vice President is being sidelined or undermined here?

“They are probably talking about those of their associations or groups. They certainly cannot be talking about the Vice President of Nigeria, and the citizens know this. Daily, Nigerians watch, see or read on social media, television screens, read on the pages of newspapers and listen to their radio sets how the Vice President’s office has always been a beehive of activities. If Vice President Shettima is not holding meetings with government agencies or chairing discussions on the administration’s programme, initiatives and interventions, he is in the states spearheading and championing these programmes on behalf of his boss, President Tinubu. This is a Vice President who enjoys his principal’s trust 100 per cent. In the history of Nigeria, it is under this administration that we have seen the President asking his Vice to represent him at major global events where Presidents and Heads of State from countries of the world make key decisions. Last year, President Tinubu mandated Vice President Shettima to represent him at the United Nations General Assembly. This is just one of the numerous crucial global gatherings the President has found his deputy to be trustworthy and reliable enough to stand in the gap.

“Now, is this the kind of presidency anybody would want people to believe there is a rift that has led to the Vice President being sidelined or undermined? Throughout last week, Senator Shettima had almost all his official engagements in the states where he was representing the President in executing government projects and programmes. He was in Kaduna and Cross River States where he performed the groundbreaking for the construction of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), as part of the administration’s drive to transform the agricultural sector and stimulate inclusive economic growth across Nigeria. I think we have reached a stage in a democracy where our politicians, especially those of the opposition extraction, must understand that you don’t necessarily need to sabotage the government of the day by creating bad blood among our leaders in the selfish bid to grab power at all cost.

“It is worthy of note to state here that while Vice President Shettima’s allegiance to his boss remains unshaken, the President is not in doubt about his deputy’s unalloyed loyalty and has not lost his trust in him. For the purveyors of marginalization, President Tinubu and his deputy are fully aware of the schemes of the opposition who think they can distract them from delivering democratic dividends to Nigerians.”