2027: We’ll Combine Governance With Politics, Shettima Says

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Tinubu administration will combine governance with political activity as Nigeria moves toward the 2027 general elections.

Shettima made the remark after meeting President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, where he also defended the administration’s economic reforms and highlighted new plans for the North-East.

The vice president said the administration would continue governing while preparing for the political contest ahead. He also defended the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms, arguing that the administration inherited an economy facing severe pressures.

Shettima said the government had inherited foreign reserves of about $3.9 billion and maintained that Tinubu’s policies had prevented a deeper economic crisis.

THE 2022 PROMISE

Shettima’s latest statement is particularly interesting when compared with what he said during the 2022 presidential campaign.

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As Tinubu’s running mate, Shettima told a Nigerian Bar Association conference that he would handle security and lead troops while Tinubu, whom he described as an economic expert, would concentrate on the economy.

That was campaign rhetoric rather than a constitutional allocation of presidential powers.

The President remains the Commander-in-Chief, while the Vice President has constitutionally defined responsibilities as the President’s deputy.

Nevertheless, the 2022 statement is useful because it illustrates how political campaigns often present governance in simplified terms.

WHAT CHANGED?

The Tinubu administration has now governed for more than three years, and Shettima is presenting a broader message in which governance and politics will proceed simultaneously.

ValidViewNetwork reports, there is nothing unusual about an incumbent government campaigning for re-election while continuing to govern. The important issue is whether political promises and claims about performance can be measured against actual outcomes.

The 2022 security promise, for example, should not simply be remembered as a slogan. Nigerians can compare the administration’s security record with the expectations created by the campaign.

Likewise, claims about economic recovery should be assessed against inflation, purchasing power, employment, investment, public revenue, debt, infrastructure and household welfare.

The same standard should apply to every political party and candidate.

2027 AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY TEST

As the election approaches, politicians will increasingly make claims about what they achieved, what they inherited and what they intend to do next.

ValidViewNetwork reports, the responsible response from citizens and journalists is not to accept or reject such claims automatically, but to test them against verifiable evidence.

Political promises are not contracts that guarantee outcomes, but they remain important benchmarks against which public officials can be judged.

The 2027 election will therefore be more meaningful if voters assess records alongside promises, rather than allowing campaign rhetoric to replace measurable evidence.