Abati Warns: Dumping Shettima for 2027 a politician suicide for Tinubu
In a blistering intervention that has set political circles ablaze, foremost columnist and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Dr. Reuben Abati, has delivered a stern warning to President Bola Tinubu: any move to displace Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections would be a catastrophic miscalculation.
Abati, whose incisive columns in The Cable and other platforms have long shaped national discourse, described Shettima as “a very loyal, humble and hardworking deputy” whose quiet diligence stands in stark contrast to the bombast of lesser politicians.
“If he were some other person, he would have been noisy and loud about whatever he may consider unfair treatment,” Abati noted, painting a picture of a vice president who has chosen duty over drama.
Mark urges FG to review security architecture, end bloodshed in Plateau.
The Borno State-born politician, Abati argued, is no ordinary running mate. His resume reads like a blueprint for political competence: former governor of Borno, ex-senator, and a technocrat with “strong intellectual abilities” that make him a “competent powerhouse.”
These credentials, Abati insisted, are not mere footnotes but the bedrock of Shettima’s value to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
In an era where loyalty is a rare commodity in Nigeria’s fractious political arena, Shettima’s refusal to “upstage his boss” has earned him quiet admiration even from rivals.
Abati highlighted how the vice president has remained “quiet, dutiful,” absorbing whatever pressures come his way without a whimper, a rarity in the deputy’s office historically plagued by turf wars.
President Tinubu, Abati pointed out, already commands a formidable arsenal of political support. With “about 28 governors in his pocket, along with the structures in the states,” the APC standard bearer appears locked in for a strong 2027 push.
This dominance, spanning the Southwest heartland to key Northern states, forms the party’s electoral machinery.
Yet, Abati cautioned, tampering with the Tinubu-Shettima formula risks unraveling this carefully woven tapestry.
Shettima’s position is not just personal but symbolic, a bridge to the Northeast, a region battered by insurgency but fiercely loyal to its own.
The Northeast, Abati warned, would view Shettima’s ouster as a direct affront. “It would indeed be a big miscalculation to attempt to displace” him, the columnist thundered, predicting a backlash that could see the entire zone turn against Tinubu. Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, these states, where Shettima’s gubernatorial legacy still resonates, would not take kindly to such a snub.
Beyond geography, Shettima embodies Muslim-North interests in a ticket already under scrutiny for its Muslim-Muslim pairing.
Replacing him, Abati argued, would ignite a firestorm in the already volatile region.
The real dynamite, according to Abati, lies in the likely sequel: installing a Christian running mate. Such a move “will turn the tables,” alienating the Muslim North that has chafed under narratives of anti-Christian bias in the current administration.
Already agitated by perceptions of marginalization, Northern Muslims would see this as the ultimate betrayal.
From Kano to Kaduna, Sokoto to Zamfara, the uproar could fracture APC’s Northern base, handing ammunition to opposition wolves like the PDP and Labour Party.
Abati dismissed any speculation of a running mate switch as a needless sideshow. “Changing his running mate ahead of 2027 would amount to a distraction that could upset current calculations for the APC,” he wrote, urging Tinubu’s handlers to focus on governance deliverables rather than electoral gambles.
With economic headwinds, insecurity, and inflation biting hard, the last thing the APC needs is self-inflicted wounds.
Shettima, in Abati’s view, remains the stabilising force, his presence a bulwark against regional revolts.APC’s Delicate Balancing ActNigeria’s presidential politics is a high-wire act of ethnic and religious arithmetic.
Tinubu’s 2023 victory hinged on threading this needle, securing the Southwest, consolidating the Northwest, and neutralising the Northeast through Shettima.
Dismantling that equation now invites chaos. Abati’s commentary arrives amid whispers in Abuja corridors of potential ticket rejigs, fueled by 2027 anxieties.
But as he posits, Shettima’s track record, from battling Boko Haram as governor to his cerebral interventions as VP, makes him indispensable.
PDP operatives, never shy to exploit APC fissures, are already salivating. Abati’s piece, while non-partisan in tone, hands them a ready script: portray Tinubu as ungrateful, elitist, and blind to Northern sensitivities.
The fallout could ripple into governorship races across the North. For Tinubu, the choice is stark: loyalty to a proven deputy or a risky pivot that courts disaster.
Abati’s verdict is unequivocal, stick with Shettima or watch the North slip away.
Reactions to Abati’s piece poured in, with APC stalwarts defending the status quo while critics decried the Muslim-Muslim ticket’s sustainability.
As 2027 looms, one thing is clear: in Nigeria’s zero-sum political game, underestimating Shettima’s pull could prove Tinubu’s costliest error.
Political analysts predict heightened debates in coming weeks, with Shettima’s camp rallying quietly to affirm his indispensability.
