Vice President Kashim Shettima has reiterated his commitment to retire former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, from politics.

Shettima said he won’t retire Atiku to Dubai but Fombina.

He promised to buy the former vice president goats, broilers and layers so that he can spend his days rearing goats and broilers.

Shettima made the remarks while speaking to newsmen shortly after the five-member panel of justices of the court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani delivered judgement affirming Bola Tinubu’s election as president on Wednesday.

A journalist had asked Shettima on whether he would fulfil his campaign promise and “retire political tourists to Dubai.”

But the vice-president said that campaigns were over and it was now time for governance.

He said: “Atiku Abubakar is an elder statesman that I hold in very high esteem and anybody who knows the social cultural interaction between the Fulanis and the Kanuris in the North will know that I have the liberty to haul all insults at him and he will bear.

“We are not going to retire him to Dubai or Morroco, I will retire him to Fombina, I will buy him goats, broilers and layers so that he can spend his days rearing goats and broilers, but on a joking side.

“On a more serious note, he is an elder statesman, the nation needs him, experience is not something that you can buy in the market place. We will tap into his wealth of experience and exposure to catapult the nation to a higher level.”

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Shettima described the judgement delivered by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) as a testimony to the fate Nigerians have in President Tinubu and his administration.

The vice-president said: “What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us, let us unite as a people and face our common challenges.

“As I have always said, the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa and Nigeria the greatest black nation on earth will make or mar that trajectory.”

Shettima said that even though it was a long day, it was a good day.

“Today is a great day for Nigeria. The Nigerian judiciary has proved itself to be the guardians of justice and fairness against the sirens of deception.

“It is a battle between the will of the people and the forces of misinformation and disinformation, but democracy has finally triumphed like the bird phoenix, it rises from the ashes resolute and unhindered and in this age of information discernment is our greatest armour and unity is our strongest hold.

“Remember, in this battle for the survival of the nation, in this grand symphony of democracy, your voice, your vote is the note that cannot be silenced but even in this our moment of triumph, we are not going to be tampered, we will work for the unity of this nation.

“Democracy as you all know is not a destination but a journey and it takes our resolve, our intent, our commitment to be the custodians of the will of the people.”

The Star