Bola Tinubu’s running partner Kashim Shettima has explained his remark to former Nigerian President Sani Abacha.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has put Tinubu and Shettima on a single ticket for the 2023 elections.
The Borno Central Senator has come under criticism for saying that Nigeria needs a leader like Abacha.
Shettima said in a statement on Friday that his opinions had been misrepresented.
The former governor of Borno State said that anybody interested may see the footage of his address in Lagos.
Shettima said, “I never attributed hospitality to Abacha in my speech.
“I did a rundown of our past presidents and played up “the taciturnity and a dose of ruthlessness of a Sani Abacha”.
He said what he meant was that strongmen are needed “to deal with the non state actors who’ve turned Nigeria into a vast killing-field.
“I was quick to tease the audience, appreciating the humour hovering around the hall, with the familiar jibe that nice men don’t make good leaders.
“By nice men I meant those who get easily manipulated and pressured to divert state resources to appeal to private expectations”, he said.