A deluge of aspersions on Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima and conspiracy theories of a fractious relationship with his boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are being spewed by harbingers of political drama. Importantly, Shettima went through a very rigorous, cautious and prudent nomination screening process by Mr. President and his caucus of advisers, along with key party stakeholders to arrive at Shettima as VP pick. It is important to note that Shettima’s relationship with President Tinubu spans over 25 years. The two knew each other right from Shettima’s budding days as a young bank manager in Lagos. Way back into Shettima’s days as governor of Borno state, he had always been a pivotal and instrumental part of President Tinubu’s ambitions. He became even more vocal as a senator in 2019, spearheading a campaign in the senate and among serving and past governors, towards the realisation of the Asiwaju nomination as presidential candidate.
The erroneous assumption is that Shettima was handed over to President Tinubu from an array of nominees for the vice presidency, the way Professor Yomi Osinbajo was to former President Muhammadu Buhari. If only the naysayers appreciate the nature of the relationship between the two, as more of a mentor/ mentee kind, which has survived all the political turmoil of the Asiwaju’s race for the number one seat in the country, they wouldn’t resort to spewing conspiracies as such. They actually believe their theories can destroy the relationship between the two. Some want Shettima’s seat by hook or crook, while others have not forgiven him for his humourous ice cream jibe, and their foot-soldiers are in the brew room, hoping to hit a draw. The rest are eagerly predicting a political drama, foretelling the weakness of a divided house, where the president and vice president are at loggerheads.
They insisted Shettima had been sidelined and was only representing Tinubu at ceremonies and not in proper state functions. But just around the time the rumours were rife, Shettima was seen several times on the global stage, ably representing his boss. After hosting the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, which the VP chairs, where BPE’s 2024 work plan was approved, and chairing the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEB, Shettima was off to the 79th United Nations General Assembly to represent Tinubu.
The outing was a huge success with the US chamber of commerce committing $320 million in mortgage financing in Nigeria. There was also the announcement of a $10 billion Exxonmobil investment plan in Nigeria. Mastercard also pledged a financing partnership with Nigeria to support one million farmers. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $600 million as relief for the flood victims in Maiduguri. All these major events took place in September 2024. If you asked me, I’d say that I’d also prefer to remain on these sidelines that include UN General Assembly where investments are trooping into the renewed hope agenda of the Tinubu administration.
On October 16, 2024, as part of the federal government’s foreign investment drive, Shettima was in Sweden on a two-day working visit. He emphasised to global investors that they can now take unfettered advantage of Nigeria’s renewed and ever growing investment climate, which is providing limitless opportunities for serious investments. During this visit, Mr. Akinola Jones, Director of GLUWA, a digital wallet service, committed $100 million to the training of 30,000 youths in digital skills across the country. This, he said, is part of their contribution to the renewed hope agenda.
The Managing Director of Ericsson, Mr. Peter Olusoji Akindele, also revealed that their company is investing $19 million for the development of a technology hub in the country. The Scania Motors Group is also looking at investing in Nigeria, courtesy of the country’s new investment potential outlook. Scania may contribute to finding solutions to the country’s drive for alternative energy, especially with the emphasis on Compressed Natural Gas, CNG. It was another very successful outing by Shettima on behalf of the president, to woo investors into the country. This foreign outing was another spanner in the works of the conspiracy theorists pushing the ‘sidelined’ rumours.
But our harbingers of drama would not let their industry go moribund. It is their mainstay. For this year’s last quarter, they have now invented a fresh rift between Shettima and his boss over the tax reforms palaver. They have spurn a narrative that Senator Ali Ndume and Governor Babagana Zulum are speaking on behalf of Shettima, against President Tinubu’s reforms. Ndume has always been vocal, cantankerous and has so many times been at loggerheads with the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the presidency ever since the party came into power under Buhari. In 2017, Ndume was suspended from the senate. In 2024, he was again removed as chief whip over his comments on President Tinubu. The party had to caution him for not observing protocol to voice his concerns. Ndume has always vied for the senate presidency and that ambition is not dead. He has been in the senate long before Shettima. How then can Ndume be Shettima’s mouthpiece?
Professor Zulum is speaking on behalf of the governors who had earlier voiced their concerns at the National Economic Council, NEC, to President Tinubu. Virtually all the governors did so. They have long communicated this to the president through Shettima as the chair of NEC. He is duty bound to do so. Would he mislead the president as to the true position of the governors? No! Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has also voiced out against the reforms. Is he also speaking on behalf of Shettima? No! A very far-fetched situation, I must add. Why aren’t they saying Makinde is speaking on behalf of Nyesom Wike? They spread a Wike rumour too anyway, that he had been barred from the Villa. Yet, we saw Wike in President Tinubu’s entourage to France, with the president introducing him to their host President Emmanuel Macron.
So, the idea that Shettima is working to undermine his boss is a huge fallacy and a fabrication of those clasping onto straws to make their conspiracies sound just about right. Shettima has been loyal to his boss decades before now. He has never said anything, not even by way of a freudian slip, to convey any form of resentment towards his boss’s reforms and agenda. Those governors and senators speaking against the reforms wouldn’t mind being nominated to replace Shettima, joining a long list of others working to do so. The propaganda and conspiracies in the corridors of power are a daily thing, and it is one fabrication after the other. Two days ago, a video was circulated supposedly showing the president avoiding a handshake with his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. It was doctored to reflect so, and the actual footage of the event showing the president fondly shaking Gbajabiamila had to be released to douse the rumour. In the corridors of power, if you sneeze when the boss is talking, you are christened as an opposition by rumour mongers and your sneeze is translated into a speech of resentment! So, believe the rumour mills at your own peril.
From the ‘sidelines’, just a few days ago, Shettima was in Cote D’Ivoire, again, to represent President Tinubu at the inaugural International Exhibition of Extractive and Energy Sources, SIREXE. He canvassed Nigeria’s commitment towards improving the transparency of the extractive industry, and the pursuit of local capacity building. This was on the same day the president was jetting out to France to also woo investors. Shettima is on his boss’s side all the time. He signed up for it, worked assiduously towards it for decades, and would not abandon ship like a political rookie midday. Shettima is not and cannot be a ‘political prostitute’. He has been consistent, loyal and dependable. As for the rumour mills, by January next year, they will be back with yet another theory, assuming, of course, that they’ve closed for the year.
Tahir is Talban Bauchl
