In many presidential democracies, the Vice President typically serves as the attack dog of the ticket. They deliver acerbic criticisms of the opposing ticket, allowing presidential nominees to project broader, more presidential demeanor. While the presidential candidate focuses on economic policies, domestic and foreign affairs and fund raising, the running mate absorbs partisan attacks, counters the opposition’s momentum and rallies the party base. The idea is to allow the top of the ticket to stay above the fray, as the running mates splashes the kitchen sink at the opponents. No Nigerian Vice President or vice presidential candidate in recent history has performed this role better than the incumbent. At the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday, Kashim Shettima delivered the most caustic attacks against Atiku Abubarkar and Peter Obi, and succeeded in deflecting attention from the weaknesses of his ticket. But because Shettima’s denigrations were laced with humour and sarcasm, they did not appear too offensive.
Shettima came prepared for the role. In 2022, even before Tinubu tapped him for the job, Shettima had started firing from the hip. He sniped at then-Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who also sought the APC presidential nomination, joking that the law professor was more suitable to sell ice cream than seek the nation’s highest political office. We all laughed it off as a silly joke, but Shettima was not done. Last Wednesday, he dug into Peter Obi’s predilection for quoting statistics from Asia and joked that Atiku’s multiple presidential attempts do not make him Abraham Lincoln of Nigeria. ‘’Perhaps he is Raila Odinga’’, Shettima said, referring to the late Kenyan opposition leader who had contested for President many times. Tinubu and APC bigwigs in the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa loved it and egged on the Vice President. Clearly, the man has earned his stripes as the ticket’s attack dog.
I think Shettima will become more and more virulent as campaign commences in earnest next week. Similarly, I expect Rotimi Amaechi, Atiku Abubarkar’s running mate, to fight back and launch his own missiles at Tinubu. No doubt, the President has a lot of baggage to target. But apart from dishing out insults, what else will Shettima be known for when he leaves office? In the first instance, this is one Vice President who has never been considered suitable an acting role whenever the president travels out of the country. Is it a trust or capacity problem?
Since he took office in 2023, the President has made about 51 foreign trips to around 30 countries, spending roughly 261 days. Not once has the President ever considered his Vice President worthy of being handed power in acting capacity till he returned. It speaks volumes of Shettima’s place in the government and how he is regarded in the scheme of things. Is he only good as an attack dog? A former Minister in the Buhari administration, Solomon Dalung, says Shettima’s conduct looks like an act of desperation to be relevant. ‘’One is left wondering whether Shettima believes that this constant display of aggression against perceived opponents is the price he must pay to remain in Tinubu’s good books’’, Dalung wrote recently.
I am also concerned about Shettima’s contributions place in the administration. Which policy initiative has he originated or contributed to considerably? In the Buhari Presidency, Osinbajo was a major force to reckon with, described by some as the most consequential Vice President in Nigeria. Osinbajo directly oversaw the conceptualization and launch of National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), widely considered the largest social welfare framework in Africa. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Buhari appointed Osinbajo to chair the Economic Sustainability Committee which designed and spearheaded the N2.3 trillion Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) meant to inject lifeline into the economy. In addition, Buhari trusted Osinbajo so well that he had no hesitation handing over power to him whenever he travelled out for medical appointments. Contrast Osinbajo with Shettima. What initiative or policy agenda bears Shettima’s imprimatur? Will he be known as attack dog only?
In terms of specific constitutional duties, Nigeria’s Vice President chairs the National Economic Council and performs delegated assignments. The VP has no hiring or firing authority and no independent executive power. Some just wait patiently, hoping to succeed their bosses someday. This season, the Vice President will play a more visible role, stumping across the country, as the president watches from home. If he combines campaign duties with the attacking role, the messages would come out unclear, obfuscated and confusing. He should rather focus on one.
