By Peter Dansu The political atmosphere within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) grew more tense on Thursday after Vice President...
By Peter Dansu
The political atmosphere within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) grew more tense on Thursday after Vice President Kashim Shettima showered praise on former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, calling him a “political force” whose influence cannot be ignored.
“You can hate him, you can love him, but you can’t ignore him,” Shettima said of El-Rufai, during the public presentation of OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3bn Nigeria Oil Block, a book authored by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), in Abuja.
The Vice President’s comments, while seemingly complimentary, are being viewed in political circles as a veiled message amid growing speculation over his place on the APC’s 2027 presidential ticket—and the party’s internal rifts. El-Rufai, who has kept a low profile since leaving office in 2023, is reportedly involved in opposition realignments, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which is positioning itself as an alternative platform for disenchanted political heavyweights.
Observers say Shettima’s warm embrace of El-Rufai is not just personal—it signals a political recalibration that could unsettle the APC ahead of 2027.
Tensions over Shettima’s future within the APC have simmered for months, especially after a major fallout during an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe in June. The event, which was meant to solidify support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid, spiraled into chaos after Vice President Shettima’s name was conspicuously left out of official recognitions by North-East Zonal Chairman Mustapha Salihu.
Delegates from the North-East erupted in protest, chanting “Shettima! Shettima!” and warning party leaders against any plot to sideline the region’s top political figure.
A visibly angry delegate from Borno described the snub as “an insult to the entire region,” while another declared, “This is a calculated attempt to edge out Shettima, and we will resist it with everything we have.”
Though former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje tried to ease tensions, stating that the President and Vice President ran on one constitutional ticket, the meeting ended on a sour note—with chants of “No Shettima, no APC in the North-East” echoing through the hall.
The fallout has only added fuel to rumours that President Tinubu may replace Shettima as his running mate in 2027, possibly with another northern figure seen as more politically pliable.
In this context, Shettima’s growing closeness to El-Rufai—who is known for his fierce independence and political ambition—has sparked new questions about where the Vice President’s loyalties now lie.
Adding more intrigue, Shettima used Thursday’s platform to reflect on his own battles in office, particularly during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, when he served as Governor of Borno State.
“In the last four years of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, I was the public enemy number one,” he revealed.
Shettima claimed that Jonathan tried to orchestrate his removal, but was stopped by legal and political checks within the system.
“In one of such conclaves… Jonathan, with whom we have now recalibrated our relationship, was mooting the idea of removing this Borno governor,” he said.
According to Shettima, then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, intervened, reminding the president that he lacked the constitutional power to remove a sitting governor. He added that Adoke also stood firmly on the rule of law, reiterating at a Federal Executive Council meeting that not even a councillor could be removed by presidential fiat. Former Minister Kabiru Turaki, SAN, reportedly backed that position.
Critics and analysts have since drawn a sharp contrast between Shettima’s stance during the Jonathan era and the current crisis unfolding in Rivers State under Tinubu’s leadership, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara faces intense pressure and political instability, allegedly instigated by federal forces. Many see Shettima’s silence on the matter—or his subtle allusions—as an indirect jab at his principal.
As 2027 draws closer, the Vice President’s latest moves are being closely watched. His growing rapport with El-Rufai and continued popularity in the North-East may place him at the center of a political storm that could redefine the APC—and the presidency.
No comments