I will ensure Jaafar Jaafar, other Nigerians in exile return home — Kashim Shettima
The vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Kashim Shettima, has vowed to ensure that the publisher of the DAILY NIGERIAN newspaper, Jaafar Jaafar, and other Nigerians in exile return home if his party wins the 2023 presidential election.
He stated this on Sunday when he appeared on “Fashin Baki,” a weekly online Hausa program hosted by Bulama Bukarti, Nasir Zango, Abba Hikima and Jaafar Jaafar.
In October 2018, this newspaper exclusively published video clips showing Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje pocketing bundles of dollar notes believed to be kickbacks from contractors handling various projects awarded by the state government.
The governor later threatened to “deal with” the journalist, despite filing a case against him at an FCT High Court.
Mr Jafaar, after a series of threats to his life, went underground before relocating to the United Kingdom.
But Mr Shettima, while responding to a question on Mr Jaafar’s ordeals, assured that the Bola Tinubu presidency would protect the rights of every Nigerian and provide a conducive atmosphere to carry out their legitimate business.
“Jafaar is my friend and confidant, and I think the issue will be over. But remember, Jaafar is not the only one in exile; even my brother, Bulama Bukarti, has a reason for leaving the country — although not an issue to be discussed in this space.
“What I can assure you, however, is that we will ensure that, by God’s grace, all issues are resolved so that our people can return home.
“After our victory, God willing, I will personally go to London and bring him back with a assurance that nothing will happen to him, and all those in exile will be returned back to Nigeria for them to carry out their lawful businesses.”
The former Borno State governor also said the northern region will not be slidened from developmental projects of the administration, arguing that the presidential candidate of the party had always been a friend of the region.
He recalled how Mr Tinubu gave two northern politicians, Atiku Abubakar and Nuhu Ribadu, the ticket of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in 2007 and 2011.
He added the former Lagos State was also instrumental to the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the APC primaries in 2014 and the party in the 2015 general election.
“I don’t see any reason why the northern region would be sidelined, especially when you look at the antecedents of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has been a friend of the north since the time of Shehu Musa Yaradua.
“In 2007, when Atiku was humiliated and chased out of the PDP, Tinubu accommodated him and gave him the presidential ticket of the ACN.
“Four years later, he gave Malam Nuhu Ribadu, a northern Muslim and our brother, the presidential ticket to contest.
“If not for his support, Muhammadu Buhari wouldn’t have won the APC primaries in 2014. His saved the day.
“The 2.9 million votes he used to defeat President Goodluck Jonathan were from the south-west, and he also supported us in 2019,” Mr Shettima added.
