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Senate President Ahmad Lawan and the North East Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have commended presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the selection of a former Borno Governor Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate.

Lawan, who is also the Chairman, APC North East Caucus, in a statement he personally signed in Abuja, said Tinubu and APC made the right choice in Shettima.

He described Shettima as a loyal and committed party member who has “what it takes to be an excellent running mate to our flag bearer, and insha Allah, the Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria from next year.”

The statement reads: “On behalf of myself and the North East Caucus of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), I heartily congratulate His Excellency, Senator Kashim Ibrahim Shettima, on his nomination as the running mate to our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the 2023 general elections.

“Asiwaju Tinubu and our party have made an excellent choice in Senator Shettima.

“The former two-term Governor of Borno State entered public service with impeccable credentials, which he has burnished by demonstrating great competence, integrity and courage in all the positions that he has held.

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“His background in academics and the private sector prepared him for the achievements that he has recorded in politics as Governor and since his election to the Senate in 2019.

“A loyal and committed member of our party, Senator Shettima has what it takes to be an excellent running mate to our flag bearer, and insha Allah, the Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria from next year.

“We of the North East Caucus of the APC attest that Senator Kashim Ibrahim Shettima is the right man for the job and that he will be an able and loyal lieutenant to our incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insha Allah.

“We as a Caucus pledge our full cooperation and support to our candidates as we march again towards another resounding victory in the general elections.

“We enjoin all members of our party across Nigeria too to give the APC Standard bearer and his running mate their utmost support.

“We also assure Nigerians that the choices that our party has made in our presidential ticket are for the best of our country. May God bless our great country, Nigeria.”

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Some traders of the razed Bodija market were seen on Monday attempting to salvage some of their burnt goods.

They made frantic efforts to see what they could salvage from their burnt goods hours after the inferno.

 

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Governorship candidate of the all Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has felicitated Senator Kashim Shettima on his emergence as the running mate to presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a congratulatory message personally signed by him, the Deputy Senate President described Shettima as detribalised and visionary and a major plus for the APC’s presidential ticket.

He recalled how the Borno Central Senator played a key role in his own emergence as Deputy Senate President in 2019.

“He was and continues to be a major player, not only in the National Assembly but in our nation at large.

“He is a large-hearted and forward-looking leader, inclusive in perspective and shorn of all bigotry.

“Our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, couldn’t have made a better choice.

“It is no surprise,” Omo-Agege added, “that the Borno State Chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has immediately risen in support of Shettima’s selection as Tinubu’s running mate.”

Read Also: Those against Shettima’s choice will thank Tinubu later’

He noted that the APC Vice Presidential candidate is hospitable to other faiths and ethnic groups, and that this was evident during his tenure as Governor of Borno State from 2011 to 2019.

“As governor of a dominantly Kanuri state, he had among his closest aides, an Igbo Christian from Anambra State, an Urhobo Christian from Delta Central Senatorial District, a Christian from Edo State, a Yoruba Christian from the Southwest, a Fulani man from Gombe and a Hausa man from Zamfara,” he said.

He said that the Vice Presidential candidate is a forthright, vocal and outspoken politician who speaks truth to power.

“Senator Shettima is a dogged professional, a rare breed banker, an agricultural economist and politician who is an inspiration to a new generation of leaders.

“His rich profile in Executive and Legislative business, public and corporate governance will always be useful in steering the ship of state.”

“I call on Nigerians to rally round the Tinubu/Shettima ticket and vote massively for APC in all positions at the 2023 general elections.”

A former House of Representatives member, Elder Chidi Wihioka, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State citing high-handedness of the state party leader.

Wihioka, however, said the decision to leave the APC would not affect his resolve to work for the victory of APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

The politician, who represented Ikwerre-Emohua Federal Constituency, said the party leader had refused to allow peace reign in the APC.

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In his letter of resignation, Wihioka said: “My decision was taken based on the highhandedness of one man, who believes that he owns the party in Rivers State and his refusal to allow peace reign in the party by giving everyone in the party equal level-playing ground.

“I will announce my next political party when I have found a suitable one to join. Nevertheless, my decision will not affect my support for the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as I will always drum support for him anywhere”.
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The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Hon. Murtala Yakubu Ajaka has advised Nigerians to ignore the religious sentiment of opposition political parties over the choice of Senator Kashim Shetimma as the party’s presidential running mate.

He commended the choice of Shettima and said those opposed to the former Borno Governor will thank Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his choice.

In a statement on Monday in Abuja, the APC chieftain assured Nigerians that fears being expressed in some quarters only exist in the realm of imagination of opposition.

Describing Shettima as the best choice to win the 2023 presidential election, Ajaka said the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have been thrown off balance since the announcement of Shettima.

According to him: “Senator Shettima is a man of knowledge, accomplishment, courage and integrity, who is not given to bigotry, or having corruption badges with any anti-corruption agencies.

“The sterling qualities of our vice-presidential candidate, in the person of Senator Kashim Shettima have once again thrown the opposition parties off balance. They (PDP and others) would have preferred our presidential candidate to settle for the less to make it easy for them to win the election (God forbid) but the choice of the trusted and trustworthy Shettima must have disorganised their evil plans, we understand them in the APC.

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“While we sympathise with the opposition parties, we appeal to Nigerians, who will eventually be the beneficiaries of good governance under the Tinubu-Shettima presidency to see beyond the sentiments of religion and tribe. Both Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima are not religious fundamentalists or ultra Muslims, their records in public offices are testimonies to rely on.

“As a two-term governor in Borno state, Shettima enjoyed the support of the Christian community throughout his tenure. The Borno chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) testified that ‘In the history of Borno state, there is no Governor that has been fair to the Christian Community as much as Governor Kashim Shettima.’

“For example, it was Governor Shettima, in the history of Borno, that has sponsored the highest number of Christian Pilgrims every year since 2011 till he left office. This and many other records of mutual respect for all faiths are there to verify in Borno State.”

The APC chieftain said the party and its presidential candidate will not be distracted from the goal of winning the 2023 general elections at all levels.

“If Borno state has the largest votes in the North-east where Kashim Shettima has been Governor for 8 years and now a Senator and still politically relevant if APC has enjoyed massive support from this state and the entire North-east and the emergence of Shettima as our vice-presidential candidate will deny the candidate of the PDP the smooth ride in the zone, I think APC and our presidential candidate are politically correct because our main goal, for now, is to emerge victorious in the coming elections, not forgetting competence which Senator Kashim Shettima represents,” APC spokesman said.

A living room is a place in a home that is supposed to be for family time, bonding, and watching television but men’s obsession for football lately is making the living room become a war zone between couples.

With their husbands’ eyes and souls glued to the television screen displaying a football match, would wives agree to share the attention of their men with football?

How do wives cope with husbands who are football fanatics? When a match is lost, how do wives cope with its effect on their husbands?

Football is a game which engages every soul interested in it, with its suspense, disappointments, shock, failure, success and at last, victory. Do wives accept to bear this cross?

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday spoke with some women in Lagos metropolis to get their feelings about this.

Mrs Theresa Adelusi, an agricultural engineer, and mother of four, said her husband loves football after God.

“If you want to serve food to my husband when he is watching football, he will say no. He gives total attention to that football that he is watching. He doesn’t give attention to anyone.

Adelusi said that the mood of the house depends on her husband’s favorite club.

“If Chelsea loses a match, the whole house will feel the impact. But if they win, ask for anything and he will give you.

“Sometimes I wonder how rich he would be if he got paid for his dedication, and my question, why should a happy moment in my household be determined by the result of a football team?” she said.

Mrs Catherine Bamgbose, CEO, Tulips Beauty Glow and mother of one, said her husband gives much attention to football and hates being disturbed when watching football.

“If you disturb my husband when watching a match, he doesn’t mind, he switches his phone on and watches it online.

“That is the only time I get to serve him any food of my choice and he doesn’t pay enough attention to complain.

“He loves football to the extent that he won’t eat for hours if his favorite club, Barcelona, loses,” she said.

According to Mrs Gloria Ndubuisi, a lawyer and a mother of four, her husband watches football with so much passion as if his life depends on it.

“In the beginning of our marriage, it caused lots of problems. Sometimes, when there’s power outage, he would fuel the generator with a part of the children’s school fees to watch a match and I will be bitter.

“There was even a time he slapped our eldest daughter for changing the channel to Zee world. It was a horrible experience,” she said.

Mrs Lynda Essien, a business woman and a mother of one, said her husband hates it when someone changes the channel while he’s watching a football match.

“My husband becomes moody when his favourite club, Manchester United, loses a match. But he comes around after some time,” she said.

For Mrs Martha Orakwe, a teacher and a mother of six, her husband’s weakest point is football.

“My husband’s Achilles heel is football. He is very collected and gentle but when it comes to football, I don’t recognise him and get his attention anymore,” she said.

Orakwe said that her husband not only watches a football match on television but also listens to the commentaries on radio even while driving.

“I remember a time my husband’s favourite club Chelsea lost a match. He heard this from the commentary on radio and we almost had an accident that day,” she said.

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Mrs Funmi Adekunle, a businesswoman and mother of two, said that she had no choice but love football because of her husband’s obsession for the game and to avoid conflict in her home.

“My husband is more than a football lover. I decided to join him and be a football fan than to be fighting with him over the television remote,” she said.

Adekunle advised wives to give up the fight over the remote or channels and join their husbands to watch and love the game.

“Football is a game that binds people together. It brings together different nations, tribes, colour, races, and even religion. This is the same game that will bring your family together.” she advised.

However, some men, in their reactions told NAN that watching football helped them ease their stress and temporarily makes them forget their daily challenges.

Mr Sola Adeleke, a civil servant, told NAN that most men watch football for excitement.

“As a man, there are lots of challenges we face daily but the thought of watching your club play brings excitement; I don’t think men do this thing to spite their wives.

“A match either at home or at bar with a chill drink relaxes the body, I stopped following a particular club because of several failures from them, so these days I just enjoy quality football and rest,” he said.

Mr Ikenna Ofem, told NAN that the battle for television remote when he is watching his favourite club play, made him buy a dual view decoder.

“With this, I can be in my room to watch my favourite sport channels without disturbance, while the rest of the family watch their favourite channels in the living room.

“It was expensive getting another TV and running the whole package but it was worth it, it was almost becoming a tug of war in my household,” he said. (NAN)