Why Tinubu Chose Shettima As His Running Mate – Presidency

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate shows his trust in his VP.

Naija News reports that Nkwocha stated this in a statement on Saturday in an article titled “2027: Tinubu-Shettima and the Politics of Loyalty, Capacity, Continuity.”

According to him, Tinubu’s decision demonstrated trust in his deputy and denied the opposition the opportunity to exploit perceived divisions within the administration.

“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,” he wrote.

Nkwocha said the decision should be viewed beyond sentiment, describing it as a convergence of loyalty, capacity and capability.

He said Shettima had remained disciplined in office, defended the administration’s reforms, chaired key national economic discussions through the National Economic Council and effectively promoted the Renewed Hope Agenda without creating confusion over the chain of authority.

“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,” he stated.

The presidential aide argued that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, first adopted in 2022, was a deliberate political strategy that combined Tinubu’s political structure in the South with Shettima’s influence in the North, particularly the North-East.

He noted that although the same-faith ticket generated controversy ahead of the 2023 election, the APC maintained that its choice was based on competence and shared political values rather than religious considerations.

“The 2023 election eventually showed that the calculation had serious electoral weight,” he said.

Nkwocha also highlighted Shettima’s role as Chairman of NEC, saying the Vice President had coordinated discussions on economic stabilisation, food security, wage pressures, nutrition, infrastructure and subnational collaboration.

He added that Shettima’s familiarity with the administration’s policies and political structure made him the ideal running mate for a President seeking re-election.

“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,” he said.

According to him, the President’s decision also signalled that loyalty and commitment would be rewarded within the ruling party.

“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,” Nkwocha stated.

While expressing confidence in the APC ahead of the 2027 general election, he said the ruling party would still need to convince Nigerians with evidence of performance.

He added that Tinubu’s decision had shifted public discourse 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,” he said.