Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that some individuals allegedly warned President Bola Tinubu to stop wearing traditional outfits he gave him during the 2023 election campaign, claiming the clothes were charmed and could lead to his death.
VP Shettima spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during the public presentation of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon’s autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance.
According to the vice president, the individuals, said to be from Borno State, told President Tinubu that continuing to wear the outfits could result in his death and pave the way for Shettima to become president.
“When I came back from China, where I had represented him at the Belt and Road Initiative Conference, he said, ‘Sit down. Your people came to me and said I should stop wearing those dresses you gave me. They said I must have been charmed, and that I am going to die and he will become the president,’” Shettima recounted.
He said the claim did not make sense because at the time he gave Tinubu the outfits, neither of them had secured the presidential and vice-presidential tickets of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Their story did not add up because when you gave me those dresses, I was an aspirant. I wasn’t even the candidate. Neither were you the vice-presidential candidate,” he said.
According to Shettima, Tinubu dismissed the allegation and deliberately continued wearing the outfits for one week.
“For one week, to prove to them that he is not fetish, he wore those dresses. These are some of the gimmicks taking place in power circles in Nigeria nowadays,” he added.
The vice president said the incident reflected growing suspicion in Nigeria’s political environment.
He compared it with an account shared by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar III, who narrated how his family regularly sent gallons of fura to Gowon while he was serving as head of state.
According to Shettima, Gowon accepted the gifts without suspicion.
“Suspicion smears our relationships, and it ought not to be. We are essentially one people tied to a common destiny,” he said.
Shettima also praised Gowon for his role in promoting national unity after the civil war and for contributing to the establishment of the National Youth Service Corps and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The event was attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, Senate President Godswill Akpabio represented by Senator Ireti Kingibe, President of the Court of Appeal Monica Dongban-Mensem and retired military officers.
