Public policy analyst and development expert, Abba Kaka, has said President Bola Tinubu’s decision to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate was driven by trust, confidence and strategic political calculations ahead of the 2027 general election.

President Bola Tinubu had faced months of speculation over whether he would retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election. The President, on Friday, formally announced Shettima as his running mate, ending months of uncertainty and political discussions over whether he would maintain the same ticket for the next election cycle.

Speaking with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Kaka said the President’s decision reflected the confidence and trust he has in Shettima’s capacity, adding that the move was also influenced by broader political calculations ahead of the 2027 election.

“Actually, what it means is that the president has trust and confidence in his vice president, and all speculations have now ended. Being an experienced politician himself, finally, he decided to keep the same ticket. And that shows the level of confidence he has in Shettima and the level of trust, as well as the fact that, the dynamics of the politics have not really changed because Shettima comes from the Northeast, where the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, ran in 2023, and he’s running again. The same thing will be Peter Obi is also running, but both of them on different platforms this time around. But politics normally is a game of interest, a game of calculations, and a game of balancing those interests and calculations. So, the president, apparently, has balanced the ticket based on what he can see happening,” he said.

Praising Shettima’s performance as vice president, Kaka described him as loyal, knowledgeable and committed to representing the President both within Nigeria and internationally. He said the role of a vice president is determined by the responsibilities assigned by the President, adding that Shettima had effectively carried out his duties on the Tinubu administration’s ticket.

“I would say that Shettima has been loyal. Shettima has been forthright. Shettima has been all over the place representing his boss. Well, when they say you are a deputy, obviously you are a deputy. So, it’s whatever the president gives you to do becomes your job.

“He is also a man of intense knowledge. He’s a reservoir of knowledge. He is young and passionate about the job. And he has gone round the country representing the president and gone round the world representing the president. The vice president of any place is—it means vice president. So, whatever the president decides you do is what you do,” he emphasised.

The development expert further acknowledged that there were grievances among some people in the North regarding the administration, citing concerns over poverty, insecurity and perceived neglect. He, however, noted that Shettima played a significant role in Tinubu’s 2023 victory in the region, advising the President to pay closer attention to northern sentiments ahead of the 2027 election.

“People in the North are aggrieved. No doubt about that. And the president also knows that, and he has said it several times. But politicians as politicians—Shettima played a critical role in 2023 for the president in the North. Don’t forget that the president got 63% or 65% of the votes from the North.

“So, I would advise the president to actually focus on the North because there’s a lot of aggrieved people. The North is feeling the pinch of what is happening—so much poverty, so much insecurity, so much neglect, and so much imbalance in the government,” he highlighted.

On whether the President made the right political calculation by retaining Shettima, Kaka argued that replacing the vice president could weaken Tinubu’s chances in the Northeast. He said Shettima’s grassroots support and political experience as a former governor, senator and current vice president made him an asset to the ticket.

“This speculation all along was based on balancing the ticket. As I said earlier, Vice President Atiku is from the Northeast, and so the president—I never expected the president to actually remove Shettima, let’s be honest. Because if he removes Shettima, number one, he’s going to lose the Northeast to Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“‘If it’s not broken, why fix it?’ Don’t fix it. So, the issue is this, and the Vice President, Shettima, is a grassroots politician. He has gone through the ropes. He has been a governor, a senator, and a sitting vice president. And before then, obviously, he’s a successful banker as well. So, I actually commend the president for keeping him on the ticket because, you know, bringing somebody new to the ticket means you are distorting the arrangement.” (Arise News)

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