Shettima: From The Sidelines
By Tahir I Tahir Talban Bauchi
The deluge of aspersions cast on the Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima, and the conspiracy theories brewed around a concocted fractious relationship between Shettima and his boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR; continue to be churned out by harbingers of political drama. Importantly, Shettima went through a very rigorous, cautious and prudent nomination screening process by Mr. President and his caucus of advisers, along with senior party stakeholders to arrive at Shettima as VP pick. It is important to note that Shettima’s relationship with President Tinubu spans over a period of 25 years. The two knew each other right from Shettima’s budding days as a young bank manager in Lagos. Way back into Shettima’s days as Governor of Borno State, he had always been a pivotal and instrumental part of President Tinubu’s ambitions. He became even more vocal as Senator in 2019, spearheading a campaign in the senate and among serving and past governors, towards the realisation of the Asiwaju nomination as presidential candidate.
The erroneous assumption is that Shettima was handed over to President Tinubu, from an array of nominees for the Vice Presidency, the way Prof. Osinbajo was to Buhari. If only the naysayers appreciate the nature of the relationship between the two, as more of a mentor/ mentee kind, which has survived all the political turmoil of Mr. President’s race for the number one seat in the country; they wouldn’t resort to brewing conspiracies as such.
They actually believe their theories can consume the relationship between the two. Some want Shettima’s seat by hook or crook, while others have not forgiven him for his humourous ice cream jibe, and their foot-soldiers are in the brew room, hoping to hit a draw.
The rest are eagerly predicting a political drama, foretelling the weakness of a divided house, where the President and Vice President are at loggerheads.
They insisted Shettima had been sidelined and was only representing Mr. President at ceremonies and not in proper state functions. But just around the time the rumors were rife, Shettime was seen several times at the global stage, ably representing his boss. After hosting the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, which the VP chairs, where BPE’s 2024 work plan was approved, and also chairing the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEB; Shettima was off to the 79th United Nations General Assembly to represent Mr. President. The outing was a huge success with the US chamber of commerce committing $320 million in mortgage financing in Nigeria.
There was also the announcement of a $10 billion dollars Exxonmobil investment plan in Nigeria. Mastercard also pledged a financing partnership with Nigeria to support one million farmers. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $600 million as relief for the victims of flooding in Maiduguri. All these major events took place in September of 2024. If you asked me, I’d say that I’d also prefer to remain on these sidelines that includes UN General Assemblies where investments are trooping into the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President.
On the 16th of October, 2024; as part of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR’s foreign investment drive, Shettima was in Sweden on a two day working visit, where he emphasised to global investors that they can now take unfettered advantage of Nigeria’s renewed and ever growing investment climate, which is now providing limitless opportunities for serious investments. During this visit, Mr. Akinola Jones, Director of GLUWA, a digital wallet service, committed $100 million to the training of 30,000 youths in digital skills across the country. This he said is part of their contribution to the renewed hope agenda.
The Managing Director of Ericsson, Mr. Peter Olusoji Akindele also revealed that their company is investing $19 million in Nigeria, for the development of a technology hub in the country. The Scania Motors Group is also looking at investing in Nigeria, courtesy of the country’s new investment potential outlook. Scania is planning to contribute to finding solutions to the country’s drive for alternative sources of fuel, especially with the new emphasis on Compressed Natural Gas, CNG. It was another very successful outing by Shettima on behalf of the President, to woo investors into the country. This foreign outing was another spanner in the works of the conspiracy theorists pushing the ‘sidelined’ rumors.
But our harbingers of drama would not let their industry go moribund. It is their mainstay. For this year’s last quarter, they have now invented a fresh rift between Shettima and his boss over the Tax reforms palaver.
They have spun a narrative that Sen. Ndume and Gov. Zulum are speaking on behalf of Shettima, against President Tinubu’s reforms. Sen. Ndume has always been vocal, cantankerous and has so many times been at loggerheads with the party and the Presidency ever since the party came into power under former President Buhari. In 2017 he was suspended from the senate. In 2024, he was again removed as Chief Whip over his comments on President Tinubu and the party had to caution him for not following the proper protocol to voice his concerns. Ndume has always vied for the Senate Presidency and that ambition is not dead and buried. He has been in the Senate long before Shettima. How can Sen. Ndume be Shettima’s mouth piece? Prof. Zulum is speaking on behalf of the governors whom had earlier voiced their concerns at the National Economic Council, NEC, to Mr. President. All or most of the governors did so. They have long communicated this to the President through Shettima as the chair of NEC. He is duty bound to do so. Would he mislead the President as to the true position of the governors? No! Gov. Makinde of Oyo has also voiced out against the reforms. Is he also speaking on behalf of Shettima? No! A very far fetched situation I must add. Why aren’t they saying Makinde is speaking on behalf of Wike? They spread a Wike rumor too anyway, that he had been barred from the Villa. Yet we saw Wike in Mr. President’s entourage to France, with Mr. President introducing him to President Macron.
So the idea that Shettima is working to undermine his boss is a huge fallacy and a fabrication of those clasping onto straws to make their conspiracies sound just about right. Shettima has been loyal to his boss decades before now. He has never said anything, not even by way of a freudian slip, to convey any form of resentment towards his boss’s reforms and agenda. Those governors and senators speaking against the reforms wouldnt mind being nominated to replace Shettima, joining a long list of others working to do so.
The propaganda and conspiracies in the corridors of power are a daily thing, and it is one fabrication after the other. Two days ago, a video was circulated supposedly showing the President avoiding a handshake with his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. It was doctored to do so, and the actual footage of the event showing the President fondly shaking Femi had to be released to douse the rumor. In the corridors of power, if you sneeze when the boss is talking, you are christened as opposition by rumor mongers and your sneeze is translated into a speech of resentment! So believe the rumor mills at your own peril. From the ‘sidelines’, just a few days ago, Shettima was in Cote d’ivoire, again, to represent Mr. President at the inaugural International Exhibition of Extractive and Energy Sources, SIREXE, where he canvassed Nigeria’s commitment towards improving the transparency of the extractive industry, and the pursuit of local capacity building. This was on the same day Mr. President was jetting out to France to also woo investors. Shettima is at his boss’s side all the time. He signed up for it, worked assiduously towards it for decades, and would not abandon ship like a political rookie midday.
Shettima is not and cannot be a ‘political crostitute’. He has been consistent, loyal and dependable. As for the rumor mills, by January next year, they will be back with yet another theory; assuming of course that they’ve closed for the year.
Shettima: From The Sidelines
