Vice-President Kashim Shettima has revealed that some individuals attempted to create distrust between him and President Bola Tinubu shortly after they assumed office in 2023.
Shettima made the disclosure in Abuja during the public presentation of the autobiography of former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon.
According to the Vice-President, the individuals allegedly warned Tinubu against wearing traditional garments he gifted him during the 2023 presidential campaign, claiming the clothes were spiritually manipulated.
“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 said.
“Barely three months after we were sworn into office, some of my people from Borno came to him and said, ‘Stop wearing those Shettima clothings. He must have charmed them. And you’re going to die. And he will become the president.’”
The Vice-President said President Tinubu dismissed the claims and later informed him about the incident after he returned from an official trip to China.
“But he said their story did not add up because when you gave those garments, I was an aspirant,” Shettima stated.
According to him, Tinubu continued wearing the garments for about a week to prove he did not believe in the allegations.
“These are some of the gimmicks that are taking place in power circles in Nigeria nowadays,” he added.
Shettima also reflected on the era of General Gowon’s leadership, saying there was a greater level of trust among leaders at the time.
He noted that the family of the Sultan of Sokoto regularly sent gallons of fura to Dodan Barracks in Lagos during Gowon’s administration, adding that the former head of state accepted the gifts without suspicion.