VIEW FROM THE GALLERY BY MAHMUD JEGA
Renomination of Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election was mysteriously slow in coming. For six weeks since the President was confirmed as the ruling APC’s candidate, mum was the word about running mate, which sent some political actors and media commentators into a frenzy of commentary.
It has been unknown in Nigerian politics since 1983 for a president to change his vice president ahead of reelection. In 1982, as soon as President Shehu Shagari was renominated as NPN’s candidate for the 1983 election, he renominated Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme as his running mate. There was no media speculation of a possible change. In 2002, when President Olusegun Obasanjo was to announce that he was seeking reelection, his campaign team put up posters that did not include Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s picture. Atiku’s aides protested, and the posters were pulled down and amended. In 2011, there was no talk of President Goodluck Jonathan changing Vice President Namadi Sambo, and in 2019, there was no speculation that President Muhammadu Buhari would change Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. None at all.
