2027: ‘Don’t pull down the roof,’ Shettima cautions politicians against disunity

As Nigeria gears up for the 2027 general elections, Vice President Kashim Shettima has issued a timely and crucial call for unity and restraint among political actors. Speaking through his social media platforms, Shettima’s message, as reported by The Punch, directly addresses the often-feverish atmosphere that accompanies democratic competition in the country.

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The political season is upon us again, and with it comes the familiar fever of democracy… But every season of politics also comes with its temptations. It comes with the temptation to mistake disagreement for betrayal, competition for enmity, preference for exclusion, and media interpretation for truth.

His analogy of political parties as "families" rather than "battlefields" is particularly resonant. This framing seeks to temper the intense rivalries that can emerge during election cycles, reminding politicians that internal disagreements should not devolve into destructive enmity. Shettima’s caution against mistaking "disagreement for betrayal, competition for enmity" is a direct appeal to the maturity and statesmanship expected of leaders.

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We must remind ourselves that a political party is not a battlefield. It is a family. And even in the most spirited family, the roof must never be pulled down because one room appears warmer than another.

Furthermore, the Vice President’s warning against external manipulation – "by the media, by mischief-makers, by vested interests, or by those who profit from division" – highlights a critical challenge in Nigerian politics. The "familiar tricks in the theatre of politics" he describes are often employed to sow discord and weaken parties before the main electoral contest. Shettima’s emphasis on the "strength of our unity" being the key to "victory" in the general election, beyond the primaries, underscores his strategic focus on cohesion as the ultimate determinant of success. This perspective from the Vice President offers a vital insight into the internal dynamics and leadership concerns shaping the political landscape as the nation looks towards 2027.

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Democracy was never designed to abolish ambition. It was designed to civilise it. It was designed to teach us that we can compete without destroying one another, disagree without demonising one another, and lose without setting fire to the very platform that gave us a voice.