Vice-President Kashim Shettima has revealed that some people tried to cause mistrust between him and President Bola Tinubu barely three months after they took office in 2023.
He spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the public presentation of the autobiography of former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon.
Shettima said the problem started after the 2023 election campaign, when he gave Tinubu traditional clothes and caps to help him blend in with northern supporters.
“When we were campaigning for him to emerge as the candidate of the APC, we were going round the north. So, I got some materials and caps for him to blend with the northern crowd. It fitted him very well. So his aides said, ‘produce more, it fitted him.’”
He said trouble began after they were sworn into office.
“Barely three months when we were sworn into office, some of my people from Borno came to him and said, ‘stop wearing those Shettima clothings. He must have charmed them. And you’re going to die. And he will become the president.’”
Shettima said Tinubu later told him what some of those people had said.
“And to the eternal credit of the president. When I came back from China, where I represented him, he said, ‘sit down. your people came to me and said I should stop wearing those garments you gave me.’”
He added that Tinubu rejected the rumour because the timeline did not make sense.
“But he said their story did not add up because when you gave those garments, I was an aspirant.”
According to Shettima, Tinubu then wore the outfit for a week to show that the claim was false.
“For one week to prove to them that he is not fetish, he wore those garments. These are some of the gimmicks that are taking place in power circles in Nigeria nowadays.”
He used the story to warn about rumours, suspicion and political tricks inside power circles.
Accolades For Ex-Head of State
Shettima then shifted to General Gowon, saying his era had less suspicion and more trust.
He said the family of the Sultan of Sokoto used to send “gallons of fura” weekly to Dodan Barracks in Lagos, and Gowon would receive the gift without fear.
“Here was a Christian son of the north, a child of the north-central, a soldier accepted across lines that others try to harden into walls in Nigeria,” he said.
“His life proved that identity can be carried without hostility. History teaches us that the Nigerian project becomes stronger whenever citizens refuse to become weapons in the hands of sectarianism and division.”
He also praised Gowon’s role in regional diplomacy and said his leadership helped shape the Economic Community of West African States.
“As one of the builders of regional cooperation in Africa, the formation of the Economic Community of West African States remains one of the great acts of political foresight on the continent,” Shettima said.
“It was born out of the understanding that neighbouring nations must do more than exchange flags at ceremonies. They must pursue ideas of security cooperation, diplomatic confidence, and economic opportunity.”
He said that vision still matters because West Africa still faces insecurity, weak trust and economic strain.
“In that vision, General Gowon saw Africa as a community of shared burdens and shared possibilities. That vision remains even more urgent today. The challenges confronting West Africa may have changed in form, but their underlying demands remain familiar. We need cooperation against insecurity.”
“We need faith that empowers young people. We need diplomacy that prevents conflict from becoming a contagion. We need a region where borders do not become barriers to prosperity.”
How The Rumour Began
Shettima’s remarks suggested that even a harmless campaign gift can become fuel for suspicion in Nigeria’s political space. He said the clothes were simply meant to help Tinubu blend into northern crowds during the campaign.
The vice-president’s story also showed how fast political gossip can travel inside elite circles. Yet, in his telling, Tinubu dismissed the warning and wore the clothes anyway to prove there was nothing sinister about them.
The event was more than a personal story. It was part of a public presentation for Yakubu Gowon’s autobiography, and Shettima used the platform to praise the former military ruler’s legacy.
He described Gowon as a leader who crossed religious and regional lines, and who later helped push West African cooperation through ECOWAS. That made the setting a natural place for him to speak about trust, unity and public service.
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