2027: VP Shettima’s Seat Hanging in the Balance

2027: VP Shettima’s Seat Hanging in the Balance

Nigeria’s Vice President, Alhaji Kashim Shettima’s political future may be hanging in the balance as signs from within the All Progressives Congress point to his exclusion from the 2027 presidential ticket.

Newera News gathered from credible Presidency and the APC sources that ongoing political permutations could compel President Bola Tinubu to drop him for another running mate.

This comes as four northern governors, two each from the North-East and North-West, and two principal officers in the 10th National Assembly are said to be eyeing the VP’s seat.

The odds against Shettima
According to credible sources, the plot against Shettima stems from open criticism of the Tinubu administration by Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, and the Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume.

Zulum is a staunch loyalist of Shettima, his predecessor.

The governor was against the tax reform bills when it was first introduced by the president. He said it favoured Lagos more than the North.

He has also consistently criticised the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity in his state, slamming Information Minister Mohammed Idris.

The Borno governor openly protested the omission of Shettima’s name during the adoption of Tinubu for a second term at the North-East APC stakeholders’ meeting on June 15 in Gombe State.

The meeting descended into chaos when the VP’s supporters attempted to attack the party’s Zonal Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, for endorsing Tinubu without mentioning Shettima as his running mate.

Salihu had said, “We want to reaffirm and also adopt the endorsement earlier done by the National Working Committee, that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is endorsed to be a sole candidate for the 2027 election.”

Following his failure to acknowledge the vice president, angry delegates began chanting, “Shettima! Shettima!! Shettima!!!” in protest, with one aggrieved supporter confronting Salihu on stage.

Zulum also insisted that Shettima must be adopted as the APC’s vice-presidential candidate for 2027.

Although Ndume’s current level of loyalty to Shettima remains unclear, the lawmaker has consistently criticised the Tinubu administration.

On July 17, 2024, the National Working Committee of the APC wrote to Senate President Godswill Akpabio requesting Ndume’s removal as Senate Majority Whip.

The APC cited Ndume’s “unguarded outbursts” against the government and described his remarks as “unbecoming” of a senior party member.

A source said, “The main problem for Shettima is the conduct of politicians from his state, including the governor, Ndume, and others close to him, who have been openly critical. The perception is that he can’t rein them in.

“If a sitting governor and senator from your state, especially one you handed over to, keep criticising the government, it becomes a problem.”

Following the chaotic APC North-East stakeholders’ meeting, Newera News gathered that some governors and lawmakers had begun positioning themselves as potential vice-presidential picks.

One insider said, “It is very much within the realm of possibility because the VP is not particularly close to the President. It’s not like the President has said categorically that he will change his running mate in 2027, but it is not certain that he won’t.

“Still, that hasn’t stopped people from positioning themselves just in case the President decides to.”

Another source added, “Two principal officers from the National Assembly and about four governors are involved, two each from the North-East and North-West. I know of a few, including one within the VP’s circle.”

The Northern governors eyeing the VP’s seat

Newera News learnt that the governors of Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna, and Katsina, Mai Mala Buni, Muhammadu Yahaya, Senator Uba Sani, and Dikko Radda, respectively, are being considered as potential replacements for Shettima.

Sources also listed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, and Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, as possible contenders.

“It’s usually governors who want that position. These are the governors of Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna, and Katsina. The Katsina governor’s interest is no secret.

“There are also signs that the Speaker and Deputy Senate President are eyeing it. They represent different political blocs,” a source said.

Another claimed that a “confidence vacuum” may be working against Shettima.

“He has unfettered access to the President. That’s true. He meets with the President often.

“But somehow, he hasn’t earned the President’s confidence. He hasn’t demonstrated leadership or taken initiative. He mostly operates under instructions and has not shown independent capacity,” the top party official said.

Govs, Jibrin deny interest

However, the Director-General of Press Affairs, Gombe Government House, Ismaila Misilli, dismissed claims that Governor Yahaya is eyeing the VP slot.

“As North-East Zone Chairman, and also a member of the NWC, I only reaffirmed and adopted the endorsement earlier made by the NWC. So, there’s no harm intended.”

‘Tinubu must not drop Shettima’

Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives has cautioned President Tinubu to think carefully before making up his mind on whether to stick or part ways with Shettima.

The federal lawmaker declared that without the political reach of the VP, the President couldn’t have won the 2023 election after securing the flag of the APC at an elective convention in Abuja.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH in confidence, the lawmaker, who hails from the northern part of the country, credited Shettima for the support Tinubu got in that part of the country two years ago.

He said, “If he (Tinubu) retains Shettima, he will reduce internal rancour and sabotage in the north. If he drops him, he will widen the scope of his challenges.

“Without Shettima, the President couldn’t have won the election in 2023. We know the key roles played by Shettima and other northern stakeholders. He built bridges across parties and leveraged them to get the required percentages for the APC presidential ticket.

“Shettima used members of the opposition in so many instances and places to secretly work against their parties’ interests in their states.”

Regardless of who the President runs with, the lawmaker warned that he would not find it easier “this time around.”