NEWS
2027: Tinubu-Shettima and the Politics of Loyalty, Capacity, Continuity
By Stanley Nkwocha
In politics, the most powerful decisions are sometimes the ones that end speculation. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s @officialABAT decision to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima @officialSKSM as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election is one of such decisions.
It is a statement of trust, a signal of continuity, and a calculated move to keep the All Progressives Congress (@OfficialAPCNg) on familiar ground, as the party prepares for another national contest.By retaining VP Shettima, President Tinubu has done more than fill a space on the ballot.
He has quelled a major source of needless political anxiety within the ruling party, shut down months of speculation over the Vice President’s place on the ticket, and reaffirmed the partnership that led the APC to victory in 2023.As a political strategy, the president’s decision is also disarming because it denies the opposition the easy path of exploiting a supposed and self-hallucinated crack in the administration. For months, political commentators had speculated about whether the President would bow to ‘inferred’ pressure and alter the ticket. Some presented the issue as a test of religious sensitivity, while others framed it as a question of regional balancing. There are others who saw it as an opportunity to unsettle the APC base. With this landmark decision, President Tinubu has reminded the political class that he is not one to be easily stampeded by noise when he is satisfied with the value of a partner.
This is why VP Shettima’s retention should be understood beyond sentiment. It is the meeting point of loyalty, capacity, and capability. The President has chosen to continue with a deputy who has shown discipline in office, defended the administration’s reforms, chaired critical national economic conversations, engaged governors through the National Economic Council, and carried the Renewed Hope Agenda message into policy rooms, public fora and political spaces without creating confusion about where authority resides.
The choice of Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate in 2022 was never an accidental calculation. It was a deliberate political arrangement that joined President Tinubu’s Southern political structure with VP Shettima’s Northern reach, especially his influence in the North East and his wider acceptance within the North. It was also a choice rooted in the belief that Nigeria’s economic and security challenges required a running mate with administrative experience, political courage, intellectual depth, and the temperament to stand firm under pressure.
That decision came with controversy, and no honest account of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket can avoid that fact. The same-faith ticket unsettled many Nigerians, drew sharp reactions from religious and political groups, and tested the APC’s ability to defend its choice before a deeply sensitive electorate. Yet the campaign insisted that the ticket was built on competence, shared political values, progressive history, and the need for a team that could win power and govern with confidence. The 2023 election eventually showed that the calculation had serious electoral weight.
The comparison often made with the 1993 MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe ticket is useful, but it should not be stretched beyond its proper meaning. The point is not that history repeated itself. The Nigeria of 1993 can not be the Nigeria of 2027, and the political conditions are not identical. The real lesson is that Nigerian voters have, at important moments, looked beyond religious arithmetic when a ticket presents a compelling national coalition, a strong political machine, and a message that speaks to the anxieties of the moment.
President Tinubu appears to have drawn from that larger lesson. By retaining VP Shettima, he has chosen continuity over experimentation, tested partnership over a risky replacement, and political chemistry over cosmetic appeasement. A running mate is not useful simply because he balances a ticket on paper. He becomes truly valuable when he strengthens the candidate’s reach, reassures the party structure, helps defend the government’s record, and reduces the cost of political coordination.
This is where VP Shettima’s strongest value lies. He has shown that loyalty can be active without being loud and that deputy leadership can be visible without becoming disruptive. In leadership, trust grows when people repeatedly see steadiness under pressure, clarity of role, and consistency between words and conduct. VP Shettima has largely operated within that discipline. He has spoken forcefully for the administration but has never and will never attempt to build a rival centre of gravity around himself.
As Chairman of the National Economic Council, the Vice President has had to sit at the junction where federal ambition meets state-level realities. The Council brings governors, key federal officials, and economic managers into one platform, and under VP Shettima’s chairmanship it has become an important channel for discussing economic stabilisation, food security, wage pressures, subnational coordination, palliative measures, nutrition, digital enterprise, infrastructure, and security-linked development. In a federation as complex as Nigeria, that role requires patience, negotiation, and the ability to keep different interests in the same room long enough for policy to move.
The early months of the administration tested that capacity. The removal of petrol subsidy created pressure across households, states, and markets, and NEC had to become one of the platforms through which mitigation measures were discussed and coordinated. The Council also became relevant in conversations around food distribution, agricultural support, state-level palliatives, transport relief, wage concerns, and the broader burden created by reforms that were necessary to prevent deeper economic collapse.
VP Shettima’s work at NEC has also touched areas that speak directly to the future of the Nigerian economy. The Council endorsed the rollout of the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises programme across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, a major intervention targeted at young people in technology and creative sectors. It has also taken up nutrition through the Nutrition 774 initiative, which is designed to push nutrition interventions across all local government areas, and it has engaged agriculture as a national security and development priority rather than a routine sectoral concern.
That is another reason his retention matters politically. A president entering a re-election cycle does not need a running mate who must first learn the language of the administration, rebuild trust with party actors, or negotiate his own place in the governing structure. President Tinubu already has in VP Shettima a deputy who understands the policy arguments, the political terrain, the administration’s vulnerabilities, and the emotional temperature of the electorate. That kind of familiarity can not be manufactured overnight.
For the APC, the decision also protects a strategic bridge to the North. VP Shettima brings to the ticket the profile of a former two-term governor of Borno State, a former senator, and a politician whose public identity was shaped by governance during one of the most difficult security periods in Nigeria’s recent history. His experience in Borno during the height of insurgency remains part of his political story because it built around him an image of resilience, crisis management, and familiarity with the security anxieties of the North East.
His retention also sends a message to party loyalists that President Tinubu rewards steadiness. Political parties are held together by more than manifestoes; they are held together by trust, predictability, and the belief that loyalty will not be discarded once power has been won. By standing again with VP Shettima, the President is telling APC stakeholders that the ticket that carried the party through the storm of 2023 will not be casually dismantled on the road to 2027.
This does not mean the APC can assume victory as a birthright. No serious party should make that mistake. The retention of Shettima gives the ruling party a stronger platform, but it does not remove the need to persuade voters with evidence of delivery. In the end, elections are not won by ticket composition alone; they are won when ticket composition, party structure, campaign discipline, government performance, and public mood move in the same direction. Luckily for President Tinubu, he has hit the bull’s eyes on these valuations.
To, therefore, posit that President Tinubu’s political advantage is clear is to state the obvious. President Tinubu has avoided the internal confusion that would have followed a replacement. He has kept faith with a deputy who has defended him in office. He has preserved a working relationship that has already been tested by controversy, economic pressure, and public scrutiny. He has also given the APC and the nation a clearer message heading into 2027: this is a ticket of continuity, experience, and unfinished work.
For VP Shettima, the task ahead is equally clear. Retention is not a ceremonial endorsement; it is a heavier burden of proof. He must continue to show that loyalty to the President must continue to translate into service to Nigerians, that political strategy can coexist with economic seriousness, and that the Renewed Hope agenda moves from policy defence to visible improvement in the lives of citizens. The stronger the administration’s delivery record becomes, the stronger the case for the ticket will be. Easily and with deepened understanding and decorum, the Vice President aptly and fortunately has this under grasp.
President Tinubu’s decision has, therefore, changed the conversation from speculation to strategy. The question is no longer whether VP Shettima will remain on the ticket. That question has been settled. The question now is how the Tinubu-Shettima partnership will convert continuity into confidence, confidence into mobilisation, and mobilisation into a renewed mandate.
In that sense, the Vice President’s retention is both a political shield and an electoral weapon. It shields the APC from internal distraction and gives the party a tested pair around which to organise its campaign. It also arms the ruling party with a message of stability.
President Tinubu has made his choice, and it is a choice rooted in trust. VP Shettima has kept his place, and it is a place earned by loyalty, capacity, and disciplined service. For the APC, that combination may well be its strongest card as the road to 2027 begins. Clearly, for President Tinubu, victory in 2027 looks a done deal!
Nkwocha is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President) and wrote in from Abuja.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Senior Pastor of, Kingsway International Christian Centre (KiCC), Pastor Mathew Ashimolow has called on leaders to emulate the leadership model, style and kingdom-minded approach of Pastor Korede Komaiya.
Ashimolowo made the remark during his visit to the newly dedicated Dreamland complex at Master’s City, Warri, where he ministered on the theme, “Timely Technology for Timeless Truth.
”Speaking at the event, he emphasized the need for a generation of leaders who are spiritually grounded and equipped for contemporary challenges.
According to him, “This time requires leaders who are spiritually deep, mentally sharp, emotionally stable, and financially wise. What we see here today is the result of Pastor Komaiya’s kingdom-mindedness, heart and unwavering commitment to God’s work.”
Commending the vision behind the project, Ashimolowo noted that many leaders would have prioritized personal luxury over such a monumental kingdom investment.
“One thing I can tell you about this big work is that, many people would not build something this massive when they could build mansions for themselves. Yet, he still lives more or less in a rented place and modestly because his heart is kingdom-first,” he said.
He further stressed the importance of sacrificial leadership and investment in God’s work, adding that leaders must set the example for those they lead.
“Kingdom-mindedness is not common in this generation, especially among founders. If you cannot invest in your own ministry, how do you expect your members to invest? People are watching your priorities and your commitment,” Ashimolowo stated.
Expressing his admiration for the project, he recalled his reaction when he first saw images of the completed facility.
“I had never been here before, but when they sent me pictures after the finishing touches were completed, I was overwhelmed. I found myself speaking in tongues because I did not know what else to do,” he added.
The newly dedicated Dreamland complex, located at Master’s City, KM 3 Refinery Road, Warri, Delta State, features two four-storey wings equipped with elevators, a central heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, as well as a state-of-the-art main auditorium built to international standards.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on Thursday explained that the cost of completing the abandoned Millennium Tower project in Abuja has increased to between N300 billion and N400 billion.
The FCT Minister added that the increment in the cost of completing it based on the present budget of the administration, has made it financially unviable because it would affect other ongoing projects.
Wike stated this during an inspection tour of inspecting the ongoing construction of the extension of Collector Road CO1 linking Nile University area in the Institution and Research District with Lugbe, Abuja and the Arterial Road N1, from Wuye District to Ring Road II, Abuja.
The minister revealed that he has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to step in, reconsider the complex as a strategic national project, and assume its funding.
According to the minister, tying down such an enormous capital outlay to a single project would effectively cripple the territory’s finances and force the administration to abandon several other critical infrastructure projects needed across Abuja.
Responding to inquiries about the long-delayed landmark, Wike emphasised the need for a realistic approach to the city’s development priorities.
He said, “Well, you know that’s a national project. And I believe that it’s one project that the government should reconsider. It should be a tourist centre project. The capital involved is too huge for the FCT to handle as a single project”.
Tracing the genesis of the signature edifice, Wike noted that the contract was originally awarded decades ago under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
However, the minister said years of neglect, economic shifts, and delayed execution have pushed the financial requirements to an unprecedented high.
Wike further explained, “We have discussed with the contractor. Remember that the project was awarded under Obasanjo’s regime
“As I speak to you, it’s not less than 300 to 400 billion Naira that the contractor is talking about. And if you look at it, how do we carry out such a project? It means that every other project in Abuja we will have to abandon. But we are still talking to the President that he should reconsider it as a national project. So, that’s where we are”.
Despite the setback posed by the massive cost of the Millennium Tower, Wike expressed strong satisfaction with the pace and quality of ongoing infrastructure development across the territory, particularly praising major construction firms handling critical corridors.
On ongoing projects, Wike assured residents that all ongoing infrastructure projects awarded by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will be completed before the end of the year, expressing confidence in the contractors handling the various road projects across the capital city.
Wike said the Tinubu administration remained committed to delivering every project it had initiated, insisting that no road project would be abandoned.
“What should concern you is whether there is any project we have started and abandoned. Look at even the projects that were awarded since 2010. We have tried to see that all are completed, and the ones that this administration has awarded will also be completed,” the minister said.
He added: “I don’t want to be pessimistic. I’m very optimistic that all the roads that we have gone for inspection, after the commissioning and flag-off, will also be done. As far as I’m concerned, the latest by the end of this year.”
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Jackson Lekan Ojo, has declared that no administration from 1999 to date has surpassed the achievements of the Obasanjo/Atiku administration.
Reacting to the recent attack on the former vice president by Presidency officials, Ojo lampooned them and stressed that there is nothing to show on the scorecard of the Tinubu administration apart from mounting debts.
According to him, “Most of the guys in the Presidency are unnecessarily loquacious. They speak, they are not thinking, they speak but they are not communicating.
How can somebody on this planet earth in this administration refer to the Obasanjo administration as wasted years. Honestly, most of the things we are enjoying today are from the Obasanjo/Atiku regime.“The debt forgiveness is from the regime; the first time that we have EFCC that they are using today as a tool is from the Obasanjo/Atiku regime; the GSM revolution is from the regime; Due Process that a lot of government officials are no longer following today in the award of contracts is from the regime; ICPC is from the regime.
“Do you know that it was Atiku Abubakar that checked Sharia law, appealing to everybody and they respect him and the country was peaceful until Obasanjo second tenure when he started nursing tenure elongation and Atiku disagreed with him.
“That was why Obasanjo was not able to penetrate Northern Nigeria. That time he has already written off the office of the vice president.
“Obasanjo achieved all these things during his first tenure when Atiku was the chairman of the National Economic team. There wouldn’t have been political stability at that time because Obasanjo was not a democrat; he was a military man. It was Atiku as vice president that stabilized democracy. It was during this period that people like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala were brought home to this country when Atiku was chairman of the Economic team. People like Nuhu Ribadu, Oby Ezekwesili, Adeshina, and a host of others were brought in.
“Who is the Okonjo-Iweala in this administration, who is the Ezekwesili in this administration? Who again can serve as chairman of EFCC like Ribadu or El-rufai?
“Do you know during that time you can remember names of all Ministers because they were performing but how many Ministers today do Nigerians know their names?
“If Obasanjo was not nursing tenure elongation during his second term he would have been able to work well with Atiku. All the telecommunication and other achievements we are talking about today were all achieved during the first tenure when Atiku was chairman of the Economic team.”
Dr Ojo also faulted claims by the presidency that the Obasanjo/Atiku administration is responsible for huge pension debts.
Speaking at the 2027 general election, Dr Ojo expressed optimism that the ADC presidential candidate has the capacity to upstage President Tinubu.
“It is not Atiku’s battle. Today in Nigeria Atiku is the most popular, most relevant, he has the geopolitical spread. He has relationships with the South East and South West by marriage; he has business across the country, he has the capacity.
“He has the political clout and sagacity to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The battle ahead is the battle of the populace. 90 percent of Nigerians are living below the poverty line.
“There is no time in Nigeria’s history that we don’t have a middle class but today we have only the rich and the poor. Small scale industries are no longer working. How much do you barb your hair now? What you used to pay for a return ticket for a flight between Lagos – Port Harcourt cannot even party for transport by land today. The air is not affordable, the roads are not safe. What is this government doing?
“How much was University school fees before. Is it this deception called a student loan? You are giving students loans when they are going to pay when there are no jobs after graduation. In the future if they want to contest for any position they will tell them they owe the Federal government. You are impoverishing people and you are plugging them into tactical indebtedness.
“How much is fuel today. When Buhari was paying subsidy how much did he borrow? Now that we are not paying for subsidy we have out borrowed Buhari’s eight years within three years. How much did Obasanjo and Atiku borrow during their time?
“The battle in 2027 is between the people, the APC and Renewed Hopelessness. People are crying. Kidnapping was limited during the Goodluck Jonathan administration to North East but today North East, North West, South East, South West, North Central are all affected.
“What is the achievement of this administration? This administration has failed woefully. This is the most corrupt administration in the history of military and democratic government in this country. This is the first time that we are hearing anything about a fake parastatal.”
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