By Inuwa Bwala
In recent months, speculations, that the APC or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, might drop Kashim Shettima, as Presidential running mate, gained traction.
Infact, the seeming ommission of the vice President’s image from banners at some political meets, and the attendant calls from some groups for a Christian northern running mate, seemed to lend sensationalize the narrative. Even with the party’s swift response to the effect that, there was no such contemplation in the APC calculations, the debate refused to go away.
National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka called such reports, suggesting a purported plan to alter the ticket, as “purely speculative, untrue, and utterly baseless”, yet, some people still pushed the narrative.
At every turn, party leaders had consistently debunked such speculations.
I have had cause, in my earlier write ups, to put the matter to rest. I argued that such speculstionsare both mischievousand untenable, for which I have been called names.
The APC in Borno and other stakeholders have gone further to openly protest and urged Tinubu to retain Shettima.
I may be wrong, but the seeming insistence from faceless agitators, that the Vice President should be dropped for a so-called balancing, seem to suggest that, there might have been fifth columnists involved. Very often, those who argue in that direction fail to take into consideration three factors, which to me explain Shettima’s staying power, as the most suitable choice.
Nigerians may agree with me that, one of Shettima’s highest selling points, remains his loyalty to the President.
Having worked with President Tinubu as vice President for the last three years, analysts often describe Shettima as the most loyal deputy in nearly three decades of democratic governsnce in Nigeria.
It is an open secret, that, the Tinubu-Shettima pairing has shown no public friction or hidden turbulence. Shettima has largely played the role of policy interpreter and political stabilizer, avoiding the missteps that often create distance between principals and deputies.
In a system where presidential power is increasingly personalized, that trust matters more than any zoning arithmetic.
I have said it before, that, in terms of public presentations and eloquence, whenever delegated to stand inn for Tinubu, Kashim Shettima has discharged himself so well, and has often been sern, as the face of the Tinubu administration.
Again, Kashim Shettima’s re-emergenence was borne out the consideration, that, Shettima adds more value to the system.
In my recent piece, I argued that, political calculations should never be about ethnic or religious optics, rather, about competence and capacity. This to me, is another factor which informed Tinubu’s bold decission to retain Shettima.
In 2022/23, the ticket sparked national debate over religious balancing but the eventual operational concord between Tinubu and Shettima, seem to have doused that.
An now, the calculus appears to have shifted, with Party leaders arguing that Nigerians have overgrown the sentiment of choosing its leaders based on religious or ethnic considerations.
In this apprent regard, the party prioritizes competence and capacity.
Far beyond these keeping Shettima, to me preserves continuity of the Renewed Hope agenda and avoids the internal division that a last-minute swap could trigger.
The North-Central APC Forum, had even warned that replacing him could endanger the party’s electoral prospects in 2027. This is against the backdrop of some of the advocates of change, coming from that region.
Even with the agitations that overheated the polity, one fact remains that, neither timing nor party control, posed much challenge to President
Tinubu in making his choice, this time around. He faces no serious challenges, in contrast to what happened in 2023, when he contended with multifaceted counter currents. Tinubu and Shettima may already be coasting home to victory, with governors, National Assembly leadership and the National Working Committee of the APC, already endorsing the ticket. “Tinubu is completely in charge of the body and soul of the APC”, somebody argued. Even before the submission of their names, there had never been any emergent signals of any possible alteration of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.
The re-emergence of Kashim Shettima is therefore less a comeback than a consolidation. Shettima was never politically irrelevant, as he has been visible on economic diplomacy, forthright on security engagements, and versatile in defending the administration’s policies. What has changed is that the debate has moved from “can a Muslim-Muslim ticket work?” in 2023, to “can Tinibu and Shettima sustain the tempo”?”
Critics may still point to the optics of the ticket given the serming unrepentance of vested interests, who weaponize it, but as it is, Tinubu has managed the expectations of Nigerians very well, without fracturing the coalition which is a test of his political dexterity.
The APC hierarchy, in presenting Tinubu and Shettima are pointing in one direction and Shettima’s re-emergence is less about dramatic reinvention and more about durability.
In an administration selling stability and policy continuity, keeping the same deputy may be the clearest message of the formula, for a better 2027 and beyond.
Kashim Shettima’s place on the ticket looks increasingly settled, not because the conversation will end, but because the party has decided that this is how it should be. (First published in National Trail)
