TIME FOR A BOLD STEP: Vice President Kashim Shettima Should Leave the APC with Honour
By Hamza Nuhu Dantani
As a Patriotic Citizen of this great Country, Nigeria, and a law-abiding observer of Nigeria’s political landscape, I have followed Vice President Kashim Shettima’s political journey with great admiration and pride. From his days as a commissioner to his transformational leadership as a two-term governor of Borno State, to his impactful tenure in the Senate, and now as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima has consistently proven to be one of the most refined, articulate, and visionary politicians in contemporary Nigeria.
In May 2025, 22 All Progressives Congress (APC) governors endorsed Tinubu as the sole 2027 presidential candidate without mentioning the vice president. In May, APC Northwest zone stakeholders emphatically endorsed Tinubu as their sole candidate for the 2027 elections without including the vice president. In doing so, the party sent a subtle message to Vice President Kashim Shettimaㅡ: We do not need you anymore.
However, today’s gathering of the APC Northeast zonal stakeholders forum in Gombe, where an endorsement was made for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid without the mention or inclusion of Vice President Shettima, sends an obvious political message. It appears that the ruling party, or at least its most potent forces, are gradually edging out a man central to their victory in 2023.
This is not just an affront to Shettima as an individual; it is an affront to the Northeast, to Borno, and to all Nigerians who believe in fairness, competence, and loyalty in politics.
Let us not forget: in 2023, Shettima traversed the North, defended the party, and brought intellectual weight and political credibility to the Tinubu campaign. His role was not ceremonial. He fought, he campaigned, and he delivered for the ticket. The North, particularly the Northeast, rallied behind the ticket partly because of his involvement. Today, however, the handwriting on the wall is glaring — the APC may be preparing to drop him as the running mate in 2027.
It is painful but not surprising. Politics in Nigeria is often about expediency rather than principle. But this is precisely why leaders must know when to draw a line. Vice President Kashim Shettima must not allow himself to be used and discarded. He must not sit quietly in the backseat while decisions are made to sideline him.
Now is the time to leave the APC.
He must do so with his head held high, not in bitterness, but with the clarity and dignity of a man who knows his worth and refuses to be politically humiliated. Leaving the APC now, while the ovation is still loud, will send a strong message — that he is not a political appendage but a force in his own right—a man whose influence transcends party structures and who still commands enormous goodwill across the North and beyond.
Shettima’s political future does not begin and end with the APC. His pedigree and vision are far too important to be boxed in by a party that no longer sees his value. He has the capacity, credibility, and following to chart a new political course, whether within a new alliance, movement, or party.
The North, particularly the Northeast, looks up to him. Borno holds him in high esteem. Nigeria needs his voice in the coming years. He must not diminish himself by clinging to a political structure that appears to have moved on without him.
History will be kind to Kashim Shettima if he chooses courage over comfort. And if the Almighty wills it, he will become the president of this country shortly. It is time to show that he is not a political orphan but a statesman who can still shape the destiny of this nation, with or without the APC.
My Candid observations, Advice, and suggestions
Hamza N. Dantani Esq
Constitutional Lawyer and Right Activist
15 June 2025.