The Vice Presidential candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Kashim Shettima, has explained why he wore a pair of sneakers below an outsized suit, to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Lagos this week.
The politician’s odd sartorial choices elicited plenty of laughter in Nigeria’s social media space, and the former Borno Governor was the butt of jokes the entire week; while birthing a challenge hash-tagged the #ShettimaChallenge for his troubles.
Now the man says his choice of attire was deliberate and that he wore a pair of sneakers to get back at his political opponents.
“I was in Lagos for the NBA Conference,” Shettima began.
“NBA Conference was held at the Eko Hotel. It was largely funded by the Lagos state government –the APC government of Lagos state. Subsequently, they moved to Eko Atlantic City–the product of an idea conceived by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“When I sent my requests in, one of the presidential candidates funded his agents, they held meetings for three consecutive nights to commence mischief.
“When I was told that it (NBA gathering) was going to be a hostile crowd…I am a banker, I was trained by one of the best bankers in the world. I am a Jim Ovia boy.
“I deliberately wore sneakers to swamp at them,” he added.
APC presidential flag-bearer Tinubu was absent at the conference that was attended by other top contenders like Abubakar Atiku of the PDP and Peter Obi of Labour Party.