By Solomon Dalung
What more can Kashim Shettima do to convince Tinubu that he is loyal? Must he ridicule every elder, take a jab at every opposition leader and belittle every institution to prove that he deserves his principal’s trust?
I remember when Shettima was lecturing Nigerians on party leadership, citing examples of highly placed officeholders who had to defer to their governors as party leaders in their respective states. He even cited Akwa Ibom, where the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had to recognise Governor Umo Eno’s leadership of the party.
Yet, when he tried to introduce the same arrangement in Rivers State, Wike, who is a mere appointee of his principal, immediately reminded him to stay clear of Rivers politics, and of course, he did. Should that be the kind of Vice President we should take seriously, when even Wike had to warn him to stay away from the politics of his state before he quickly adjusted to the warning? Shettima’s confident posturing appears bereft of substance, overlooking the fact that political power is not always as straightforward as the rules on paper suggest.
Now, we see a Vice President who once described Osinbajo as an ice cream seller and appears increasingly eager to take jabs at Atiku Abubakar. His latest remarks about an educational institution in Kano add another dimension to the controversy.
When he took that jab at the opposition, I observed that if only he had as much influence as Seyi Tinubu, perhaps we would have taken him more seriously. That observation remains relevant. Political theatrics are not the same as political influence.
One is left wondering whether Shettima believes that this constant display of aggression against perceived opponents is the price he must pay to remain in Tinubu’s good books. Has he been made to believe that the more elders he ridicules, the more trustworthy he becomes, and the more likely he is to be considered worthy of holding the reins whenever the President travels?
A Vice President should not have to audition for his principal’s confidence by insulting other people. His office should speak for itself through judgement, maturity and the ability to navigate political disagreements without turning them into spectacles.
Shettima should understand that loyalty is not measured by the number of people one humiliates on behalf of a principal. And if he believes otherwise, how many more people must he insult before he considers his loyalty sufficiently demonstrated?
Solomon Dalung was a minister in the administration of President Buhari
