The North-east APC Summit and its delegates delighted us with the usual free for all fight by politicians, each group routing for their own cause or candidates. The endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu without a commensurate endorsement of Kashim Shettima as his running mate was the cause of the uproar. Even if other zones did a similar type of endorsement for Tinubu alone, this particular one being in Shettima’s home didn’t help matters.
It was seen by many as a slap on the face, without Shettima’s endorsement by some notable party figures, even if majority of the delegates, if not all, supported his endorsement. Some others believe that it was a highlight of the so-called rift between the vice president and his principal. They think it is finally being brought forward at an official stage. But a cursory look will tell you otherwise.
The Hausa say, “ba’a mugun sarki sai mugun bafaje”, meaning he king is usually harmless but the people around him are. Shettima fought off many other aspirants to the vice-presidential nomination and won. This whole episode is a second coming of that race.
Shettima has been closely associated with the Jagaban for over 20 years, since his days as a banker in Lagos. Throughout his tenure as governor of Borno state, he remained a close ally of Jagaban and openly voiced his support for President Tinubu’s quest to succeed PMB. As senator, barely two years into his tenure, he began mobilising support for Tinubu’s ambition, garnering support for the Jagaban in the National Assembly, and across major party stakeholders, including serving and past governors. He also held interviews and press briefings ‘yarning’ plenty English, as to why the Jagaban should be supported as Buhari’s successor. His unalloyed support for the Jagaban eventually fractured his relationship with some powerful forces within the PMB government and the party; people who were averse to Tinubu’s ambition. Shettima remained relentless and unruffled by the antics and harassments of the power bloc that were hell bent on stopping Jagaban.
When Shettima was picked as VP nominee, it was a no brainer. Most APC faithful and political analysts welcomed the decision and the party was confident about his capacity, political sagacity, and loyalty. A war time governor who had performed startlingly well, ushering in development in Borno state, despite the war against Boko Haram/ISWAP, an eloquent senator of the Federal Republic, and an ardent canvasser for the Jagaban project; are all qualities that couldn’t be wished away by any of the contenders for the VP slot.
The North-east, like the North-central and South-east, had been short-changed in terms of chances at political leadership in the country. The argument of the politics of inclusion in favour of these zones augured well for Shettima, who hails from the North-east. Unsurprisingly, throughout the campaigns he was vibrant, charismatic and energetic. He was instrumental to the campaign and the younger generation of northerners identified with him, and he connected with them very well. Of course Jagaban is quite a force in the North, but Shettima further cemented the northern support. He became a close ally of the Northern Ulama and mobilised for their support. He still does.
Shettima’s tenure as VP is not so much lack lustre after all, to warrant such an attempt to have him sidelined from the ticket in 2027. He has been a good student of power, thus rendering himself less colourful when compared to Osinbajo, and less powerful when compared to Atiku. Some insist Tinubu has had three different deputies when he was Lagos governor and therefore Shettima is likely to be dropped. But again, those dropped were not all at the turn of a sevugerm, as they were mostly midterm and had fallen out because they committed one political blunder or the other. He is more experienced, seasoned and refined compared to those deputies. The two scenarios are quite different. Dropping a deputy governor is not the same as dropping a VP. In the last two years, Shettima has stayed on his lane, doing his boss’s bidding only.
He has not overstepped, nor has he appeared to overshadow his boss. With my ‘ear to the air’, I have heard that the president instructs him directly on issues he wants him to handle on his behalf and everyone else has to take queue from the VP. Which means President Tinubu is not unaware of subtle moves to malign the VP. He is therefore protecting him in his own clever way. There is no VP or deputy that doesn’t want to succeed his boss, so Shettima’s supposed presidential ambition is not out of the ordinary. It is normal for one to aspire to that level. Many governors and senators nurse that ambition. It is not a sin.
The VP’s office has so many projects and programmes to its feathers. The $617 million i-Dice funds for youth empowerment & skill acquisition, the Pulaku initiative that is putting billions of naira in war and banditry ravaged states for the provision of social amenities and the development of infrastructure, and the workings of PEBEC (presidential enabling business environment council) that has been engineering a more conducive business environment for both local and foreign investments are just a few, from the very hectic schedule of the vice president’s office.
The camaraderie that he extends to friends and associates of the president, party bigwigs, serving and ex-governors, senators and Reps members by attending their events, is a huge political networking avenue which people love to dismiss and clown over. The political wages in those events, including commissioning of projects in various states, are bigger than the imagination of the ordinary eye. While you are ridiculing him, he is busy amassing a political connect that cannot be rivaled by anyone in the country these days, aside the president, of course.
As it is, the president will allow those aspiring to be VP picks to continue to do their thing, excelling in their various appointments, while trying to oust the VP. If President Tinubu makes an early pronouncement, the race is over too suddenly and he will not get the maximum energy and support he’d have wanted from those characters. So, allowing them to outdo one another, including the VP, is perfect political manoeuvre or gamesmanship. Again, the president would be building on his support base and not bringing it down or breaking it into pieces, just the way the opposition and the coalition are doing. Taking out Shettima would mean breaking up or bringing down his house. It would be playing to the gallery of the opposition. But I trust President Tinubu’s judgement, I am sure he wouldn’t do anything detrimental to his success.
For those playing dirty and trying to bring down the VP, tarnish his political image or belittle his stature, they will definitely meet their own nemesis. You can’t be conscientiously trying to bring a man down, and believe God will give you a free pass.
Hell no! From the sidelines, as a political analyst, a columnist, and a keen observer of Shettima’s political trajectory, I doubt if his path is narrowing. He is a mentee of Jagaban and no other mentees can claim ‘Jagabanism’ more than him, really. He has always belonged to the empire and is not a newly recruited running mate who is alien to the inner caucus. He was not married to the ticket overnight.
He is part of the inner workings and knows the inner workers quite well. If there was any clear and present danger for him, he would have had a different countenance. As it is, he continues to face his duties diligently with all the vigour and dedication in his breath. Shettima deserves a second term, no doubt, right?