A 200-level Political Science student of Al-Qalam University, Katsina State, Mohammed Yakubu, has organized a seven-day prayer session for President Bola Tinubu to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2027 elections.

The prayer, which ended on Friday, was held at Maranta Sheikh Abba Abu, Kofar Kwaya, Katsina, and featured mostly young clerics, according to a statement made available to PUNCH Online by Yakubu.

He said, “Shettima has been my role model and seeing how he has helped His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu in running the affairs of our great country, they all deserve our prayers.

“I want to call on our youth to engage in praying for our leaders, especially now that the insecurity is bedevilling some parts of the country. We should desist from saying negative words or cursing them.”

Yakubu, 18, said he was inspired by Shettima’s “leadership style and contributions to youth and farmers” and urged Nigerians, especially young people, to pray for their leaders instead of criticizing them.

Clerics and youths at the prayer session organized in Katsina for Vice President Kashim Shettima to retain his position in 2027.

“Having studied what His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima’s leadership styles especially in building us, the youth and farmers like my father, to thrive, informed my decision to call for Islamic clerics who are mostly youth like me to pray for his success politically.

“I also want to urge government at all levels to redouble their efforts in tackling insecurity,” he said.

The prayer session comes amid speculations within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over Shettima’s place on the 2027 ticket.

While the APC leadership has dismissed the claims, the issue has generated debates among party loyalists.

Tinubu, on Monday, while celebrating Shettima on his 59th birthday, described him as a loyal partner.

“Your dedication reassures me that I did not make a mistake in choosing you as my deputy,” the President said in a statement shared by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

(The PUNCH)