RismadarVoice Reporters
May 19, 2026
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima has revealed that some individuals allegedly advised President Bola Tinubu against wearing traditional outfits he had been gifted during the 2023 presidential campaign, claiming the garments had been used to spiritually influence him.
Shettima disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking at the public presentation of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon’s autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, in Abuja, where he represented President Tinubu.
According to the Vice President, the incident occurred a few months after Tinubu assumed office, when a group from Borno State reportedly approached the President with claims that the traditional attire could endanger his life.
Shettima said Tinubu rejected the allegations and chose to respond symbolically by continuing to wear the outfits repeatedly.
Recounting the incident, Shettima explained that before the 2023 elections, he had arranged traditional Borno attire and a cap for Tinubu during campaign activities in the North so the then-presidential aspirant could connect more closely with local audiences.
He said the clothing was well-received and frequently worn by Tinubu during campaign events.
The Vice President further revealed that the issue surfaced after he returned from China, where he had represented the President at the Belt and Road Initiative Forum in October 2023.
According to him, Tinubu informed him about the claims made by some visitors.
“When I returned, he told me that some people had visited and advised him to stop wearing the dresses because they believed I had charmed him and that he could die, paving the way for me to become President,” Shettima said.
He noted that Tinubu dismissed the claims, pointing out that the narrative lacked logic since the clothes were given during the period when both men were still pursuing political ambitions and before the vice-presidential ticket had been decided.
Shettima added that the President deliberately wore the attire for an entire week to demonstrate his rejection of the allegations.
The Vice President used the incident to highlight what he described as a growing culture of suspicion in the country, warning that mistrust was increasingly affecting relationships and public life.
Drawing comparisons with earlier periods in Nigeria’s history, Shettima referenced accounts shared by the Sultan of Sokoto regarding former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, who reportedly accepted food gifts from northern leaders without suspicion.
He praised Gowon for promoting national unity through policies such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and called on Nigerians to resist divisions capable of undermining national cohesion.
Shettima also urged citizens to embrace unity, stressing that shared national interests should take precedence over suspicion and differences.
