Kashim Shettima and the price of loyalty, By Mahmud Muhammad
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- The article discusses Vice President Kashim Shettima's loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the administration's success.
- It highlights the strong working relationship between the President and Vice President, noting it as unprecedented since Nigeria's return to democracy.
- The piece debunks rumors of division, citing an instance where false claims of poisoning were made against Shettima.
Vice President Kashim Shettima remains focused on supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ensuring the administration's success, publicly distancing himself from any distractions related to future political ambitions. The decision regarding his potential role as running mate in 2031 has been settled, with President Tinubu retaining him for the upcoming presidential ticket.
He is not the kind of leader who makes important decisions because of rumours or pressure from political detractors.
President Tinubu values loyalty, hard work, and trust, and has demonstrated this by keeping Shettima as his running mate. Since taking office, Vice President Shettima has exhibited complete loyalty, diligently carrying out assignments without seeking personal glory. This commitment underscores the administration's priority on collective success.
Since this administration came into office, Vice President Shettima has shown complete loyalty to his boss.
The relationship between President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima is characterized by a high level of trust, understanding, and mutual respect, which the article suggests is unparalleled in Nigeria's democratic history since 1999. Despite this strong bond, efforts have been made by some individuals to sow discord between the two leaders.
Since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, it is difficult to remember another President and Vice President who have worked together with this level of trust, understanding, and mutual respect.
Illustrating the extent of these divisive tactics, the Vice President himself recounted an incident where individuals from his home state allegedly warned President Tinubu against accepting gifts from Shettima, falsely claiming he intended to poison the President to seize power. This shocking fabrication, shared publicly by Shettima, was thankfully not believed by President Tinubu, who continued to work closely with his deputy.
They allegedly claimed that the Vice President wanted to poison or kill him in order to take over power.
Originally published by Premium Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.