Nigeria’s Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, has revealed that some individuals allegedly tried to create distrust between him and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shortly after they assumed office in 2023.
Speaking during the public presentation of the autobiography of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon in Abuja, Shettima recounted how certain people reportedly warned Tinubu to stop wearing clothes he gifted him during the presidential campaign.
According to the vice-president, the traditional northern outfits were originally meant to help Tinubu connect more easily with northern supporters during the APC presidential campaign.
“When we were campaigning for him to emerge as the candidate of the APC, we were going round the north. So, I got some materials and caps for him to blend with the northern crowd,” Shettima explained.
He said the clothes became popular among Tinubu’s aides because they suited the president well, leading them to request more of the outfits.
However, Shettima disclosed that barely three months after they were sworn into office, some individuals from Borno State allegedly approached Tinubu with claims that the clothes had been spiritually manipulated to harm him.
“They told him to stop wearing those Shettima clothes, saying I had charmed them and that he was going to die so I could become president,” Shettima said.
The vice-president praised Tinubu for refusing to believe the claims, noting that the president questioned the logic behind the allegation since the clothes were given long before the election was won.
According to Shettima, Tinubu later called him after his return from an official trip to China and personally informed him about the allegations.
“He told me their story did not add up because when I gave him the garments, he was still an aspirant,” Shettima said.
In what he described as a deliberate move to dismiss the rumours, Shettima said Tinubu continued wearing the outfits for about a week to show he was not influenced by superstition or political manipulation.
“These are some of the gimmicks that happen within power circles in Nigeria,” the vice-president added.
While reflecting on the legacy of Gowon, Shettima also spoke about a period in Nigeria when leaders across ethnic and religious divides related with greater trust and unity.
He recalled how the family of the Sultan of Sokoto regularly sent food items, including “gallons of fura,” to Dodan Barracks during Gowon’s administration without suspicion or political tension.
Describing Gowon as “a Christian son of the north” who was accepted across different divides, Shettima said the former leader represented a period when national unity mattered more than ethnic or religious differences.
He also praised Gowon’s role in the formation of the Economic Community of West African States, saying the initiative helped strengthen regional cooperation, diplomacy and economic integration across West Africa.
According to Shettima, West Africa still needs the same spirit of cooperation today to tackle insecurity, youth unemployment and regional instability.