Lifestyle
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has shed light on the modest lifestyle of President Bola Tinubu, recounting a personal experience that highlights the President’s preference for simplicity over extravagance.
Speaking at a book launch in Abuja on Thursday, Shettima narrated an incident where Tinubu, despite being offered an array of delicious meals, chose instead to have garri and groundnut.
According to Shettima, this choice exemplifies Tinubu’s modesty and his focus on more significant issues facing the country.
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““In President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we have a leader that we can invest our trust in. I’m not playing politics, I’m speaking from the heart. I have seen the soul of Bola Tinubu, and he has a good soul.”
“He means well for the nation. He wants to live in a place of glory. He is not in power to engage in primitive capital accumulation. He is in power to leave landmarks in the sands of time. He is the most demonised politician in Nigeria. The first time I went to his house at Bourdillon, I was looking forward to seeing a mansion comparable to Buckingham Palace, with gardens, and swimming pools, but there was nothing special about that house. My house in Maiduguri is better than the house in Bourdillon.
“And at the formative stage of the APC, we held a meeting in his house. They served us a variety of meals but he opted to take garri with groundnut for lunch. Since I have known him, he has been using only one wristwatch, and in fact, I dress better than him. He doesn’t even care. He has overcome all those odds to dress well. So we need to rally around this poor man. He has taken some bold steps. The economy that we met was in a huge mess.
“But it wasn’t for us, we were part of the Buhari administration, we cannot deny that. We belong to the political family. It’s not about apportioning blame, but it’s about finding solutions to our nation’s needs. We knew there were challenges. Forget about the politics being played by the Atiku Abubakar and the obedient crowd, they all said they are going to withdraw the fuel subsidy.”
Reflecting on the state of the economy, Shettima acknowledged the challenges inherited by the Tinubu administration, while also admitting that the previous administration, in which he served, had a role in the current situation. However, he stressed the importance of moving forward and finding solutions rather than assigning blame.
Shettima called on Nigerians to be patient as the current administration implements its economic policies, expressing confidence that the country is on the path to recovery. “The President has the political courage to make tough decisions. It may be painful now, but I believe history will judge him kindly.”
He concluded by urging Nigerians to rally around President Tinubu, assuring them that better days are ahead.
The event, which was the launch of the book titled Navigating the Politics of Universal Education Policies in Nigeria, authored by Prof. Modupe Adelabu, was attended by notable figures, including Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, former APC interim national chairman Bisi Akande, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila.
