By Abdulkareem Haruna 

Early this week, in a display of unwavering solidarity, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Borno chapter, convened an emergency stakeholders meeting in Maiduguri, the state’s capital, to address swirling rumors of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s office and his place comes 2027.

For four hours, the elite of Borno’s ruling political party engaged in deliberations, which led to the issuance of  a ten-point communiqué that echoed a singular, resonating theme: “unyielding loyalty.”

The stakeholders gathering, that brought  together a powerful  catalogue of Borno’s political who-is-who,  had former and serving governors, former national and state assembly members, ministers, past and serving commissioners, and party officials. They primarily converged to dispel swirling rumors of Shettima’s potential replacement in 2027 and to counter whispers of regional defections to the awkwardly regrouping opposition – the Social Democratic Party (SDP). 

The stakeholders gathering, sources suggested, was a preemptive strike, and a strategic move to reassure agitated party members that no such upheaval was imminent, “in the meantime.”

The crux of the four-hour discourse centered on Shettima’s position. Speakers, including Governor Babagana Zulum, Senator Ali Ndume, and Deputy National Chairman, Ali Dalori, amongst others, addressed the rumors head-on, framing them as unfounded and threats to the state’s political stability.

Senator Ndume, a seasoned political voice, articulated the state’s vested interest in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 reelection, arguing that any disruption would sever Borno’s vital connection to the presidency.

The meeting’s outcome, as succinctly penciled in the communique, was a declaration of unwavering loyalty to President Tinubu and his “Renewed Hope Agenda,” coupled with a fervent endorsement of VP Shettima.

The communiqué explicitly commended Shettima’s commitment, urged his continued loyalty, and prayed for his retention as vice president in 2027. This emphasis on loyalty, however, struck some analysts as an exercise in redundancy. As yours sincerely, reporting from the scene, observed, “anyone with sound political acumen can attest to the VP’s unwavering support for his boss, President Tinubu.”

This sentiment underscores the core of Shettima’s political persona. His journey, from a city boy in Maiduguri to the nation’s second-highest office, is a narrative of strategic ascent. Shettima didn’t become VP by accident, he envisioned it, dreamed it, and worked for its actualisation.

That’s why in 2022, amidst widespread skepticism surrounding Tinubu’s presidential ambitions, Shettima emerged as a vocal and fervent supporter, his advocacy surpassing even that of Tinubu’s closest regional allies. This unwavering support, despite facing intense criticism, including allegations of power usurpation and the divisive Muslim-Muslim ticket controversy, solidified Shettima’s reputation as a formidable political strategist. 

VP Shettima’s political acumen is further evidenced even by his tenure as governor of Borno, where he cultivated a cadre of loyalists and carefully selected his successor, Governor Zulum. Even when he wbas a senator, Shettima consistently deferred to Zulum, a calculated display of political deference. Within the presidency, his loyalty to the President is described as a “rock of Gibraltar,” a steadfast defense of his principal.

Roy Elson Smith, the American political commentator, once said that “we are sure to get opportunities as we show ourselves capable of being trusted,”  . This sentiment echoes throughout Shettima’s political journey. 

The question that remains, however, is whether such unwavering loyalty that forms the grains of Shettima’s inherent qualities is a political virtue or a potential liability. As Nigeria’s political landscape continues to shift, Shettima’s fate remains inextricably linked to that of President Tinubu. 

 If unwavering loyalty to his boss is the ‘crime’ for which VP Kashim is to be crucified in 2027, then let the judgment fall. But I can assure you that  this man will, by the grace of Almighty, still survive.