According to a report by the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed what he described as an attempt by some individuals to create mistrust between him and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shortly after both assumed office in 2023.
Shettima made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja during the public presentation of the autobiography of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, titled My Life of Duty and Allegiance.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event, Shettima recounted that shortly after the inauguration of the current administration, some individuals from his home state of Borno allegedly approached the President with damaging claims about his intentions.
According to him, the individuals warned Tinubu against wearing traditional outfits he had earlier gifted him during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign period, alleging that the garments were “charms” intended to harm the President.
“Barely three months after we assumed office, some people from Borno came to the President and told him to stop wearing the clothes I gave him because I had charmed them and was planning to kill him and take over power,” Shettima said.
He explained that the claim was intended to create suspicion between him and the President, but said Tinubu dismissed the allegation outright, describing it as illogical and inconsistent with the timeline of events surrounding their political partnership.
According to Shettima, the President reasoned that at the time the clothes were given, neither of them held the positions they currently occupy.
“Shettima said Tinubu told him: ‘Their story did not add up because when you gave me those clothes, I was only an aspirant. I was not yet the presidential candidate and neither were you the vice-presidential candidate,’” he recounted.
The Vice President further noted that Tinubu chose to continue wearing the outfits for about a week, a gesture he interpreted as a deliberate effort to dismiss superstition and discourage ethnic or political suspicion.
“For one week, the President kept wearing the clothes to prove he was not fetish or superstitious,” Shettima said.
He used the occasion to emphasise the importance of unity and trust within Nigeria’s political leadership, warning against attempts to sow division based on ethnicity, religion, or misinformation.
Shettima stressed that the stability of the country depends on mutual confidence among leaders and citizens, urging Nigerians to resist narratives that promote distrust or undermine national cohesion….See More
