Isaac Samuel
The decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election has continued to attract endorsements from governors, party leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who described the move as a vote of confidence in the Vice President’s performance, loyalty and commitment to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The APC on Friday formally unveiled Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 poll, ending months of speculation over the composition of the party’s presidential ticket.
The party subsequently submitted the names of Tinubu and Shettima to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in line with electoral requirements.
Shettima’s renomination brought to an end weeks of intense speculation within political circles over the composition of the APC’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Following President Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s sole presidential candidate, there were reports that the President was considering replacing Shettima with a northern Christian in a bid to address concerns over the Muslim-Muslim ticket that caused debate ahead of the 2023 general election.
But the APC’s formal unveiling of Shettima as running mate effectively put the speculation to rest and reaffirmed the President’s confidence in his deputy.
Among those who welcomed the decision was Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who congratulated the Vice President on his renomination, describing it as a demonstration of the confidence reposed in him by President Tinubu.
In a congratulatory message issued on behalf of the government and people of Akwa Ibom State, Eno said the Vice President had worked closely with the President in advancing the gains of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He commended President Tinubu for what he described as visionary leadership and bold reforms aimed at addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges and laying the foundation for sustainable growth.
The governor pledged the support of Akwa Ibom State and APC stakeholders in the state towards ensuring the success of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in the 2027 election.
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, said Shettima’s retention as Tinubu’s running mate reflected President Tinubu’s confidence in the Vice President’s contributions to governance over the last three years.
“Vice President Shettima has served with diligence and the President’s decision to retain him speaks to his performance and his loyalty,” Radda said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed.
The governor noted that Shettima had played key roles in several critical government initiatives, including chairing the Presidential Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), participating in national economic policy discussions and supporting efforts aimed at strengthening energy security.
According to him, the President’s decision to retain his deputy indicates satisfaction with the manner in which those responsibilities have been handled.
Radda, on behalf of the government and people of Katsina State, described the renomination as recognition of Shettima’s hard work and commitment to national service, expressing confidence that he would continue to contribute meaningfully to the administration’s success if re-elected.
Also lending his voice, former member of the House of Representatives, Professor Haruna Yerima, told this medium that Shettima’s retention would strengthen APC’s electoral prospects across the country.
He described the Vice President as a loyal and competent deputy whose performance had justified the confidence reposed in him by the President.
“Senator Kashim Shettima has been a very loyal and competent deputy to President Tinubu. Even his political detractors cannot deny the fact that he is a competent powerhouse with strong intellectual capabilities,” Yerima said.
The former lawmaker argued that the President’s decision was the outcome of a careful assessment of Shettima’s contributions to governance and his support for the administration’s policies and reforms.
He highlighted the Vice President’s public service trajectory, which spans academia, banking, service as commissioner in Borno State, governor, senator and now Vice President, saying such experience had equipped him with the capacity to support the President effectively.
For his part, a member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), Tolu Bankole, described the retention of Shettima as proof that the partnership between the President and his deputy has endured the intense scrutiny that greeted the Muslim-Muslim ticket ahead of the 2023 election.
According to Bankole, many critics doubted the ability of the Tinubu-Shettima partnership to succeed, but events over the last three years had proved those fears unfounded.
“Vice President Kashim Shettima has shown competence in coordinating critical economic and social interventions. He has shown character in standing firm with the President on difficult but necessary reforms and has discharged his responsibilities with humility,” he said.
Bankole added that the Vice President had played strategic roles in the National Economic Council (NEC), humanitarian interventions, poverty alleviation programmes and diplomatic engagements aimed at advancing the administration’s objectives.
Also commenting on the development, presidential spokesman Stanley Nkwocha said Shettima’s retention reflected President Tinubu’s confidence in his deputy’s loyalty, experience and capacity to support the administration’s policy direction.
Nkwocha noted that the Vice President’s experience as a former governor and senator, as well as his role in coordinating engagements through the National Economic Council, had made him a valuable partner in governance.
He argued that retaining Shettima would help preserve the APC’s political structure and maintain continuity ahead of the 2027 election while providing stability within the ruling party.
