Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, is supposed to be in charge of the country’s affairs while President Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is on holiday in England. However, since assuming the acting presidency, there have been no major decisions attributed to him.
Perhaps what he has done has been kept “hush hush,” or he is entirely satisfied with his boss’s prior actions, or perhaps the role is “acting” in name only, not in reality. There’s even the possibility that he hasn’t truly been granted the opportunity to act.
This writer vividly remembers a significant national decision made by Vice President Shettima’s predecessor, Pastor Professor Yemi Osinbajo, during one of his periods as acting president while his boss was on one of his many holidays (also in England, where it was rumored he regularly met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby).
The decision in question was the permanent dismissal of Lawal Daura, the then-head of the Department of State Security (DSS). To this writer’s knowledge, that dismissal stood, as it was never reversed by the president upon his return, and there were no public complaints about it.
The current Acting President, however, may be cautious about making any significant decisions out of fear that his boss might not back his future political ambitions. If and when the President steps down after his first or second term, the Vice President may wish to succeed him, but history offers little hope.
In Nigeria, no Vice President has ever succeeded a sitting president except for Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who took over after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010. That transition was inevitable and uncontested.
The allure of power in Nigeria’s democracy has become a potent intoxicant. Both the President and governors at the state level wield immense authority. Our version of democracy, though modeled after the U.S., operates strangely, with winners holding absolute power. They appoint and dictate as they see fit, regardless of the checks and balances supposedly embedded in the system. In other words, in Nigeria, the President or Governor can make or break people at will.
Checks and balances exist in name only. A clever use of money or promises ensures that the President or Governor almost always gets what they want. This “trick” works well with our insatiable representatives at both the federal and state levels.
The Vice President has certainly undertaken numerous trips, either representing the President or acting on his own behalf. Recently, in Maiduguri, Borno State, he went to commiserate with the Shehu of Borno, the people, and the governor over a tragic flood disaster. Strangely, President Tinubu later visited Maiduguri himself, as though it were an afterthought.
Vice President Shettima also represented the President at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York, accompanied by a large entourage. Some of the President’s aides may have been there to keep an eye on him. In politics, one cannot afford to be too trusting or complacent.
Overconfidence in deputies can sometimes be costly, particularly in developing countries. President Tinubu, whether he opts for a second term or not, would likely prefer a loyalist within the ruling party to succeed him as President. After all, in Nigeria, democracy grants the winner all the spoils, leaving little for the opposition.
If the Vice President took no notable actions during his time in charge, don’t blame him. He likely did what he thought would keep him in the President’s good graces. Or perhaps the President never truly handed over the reins of power during his absence. Either way, the Vice President should not be faulted.
In Nigeria, two types of politicians typically aspire to the presidency: those with a genuine fear of God, determined to improve the country for the people, and those with no such agenda, focused solely on securing their own share of the “national cake.”
Unfortunately, it’s the latter category that often dominates. Many of our leaders have been more concerned with self-interest than the welfare of the nation. As a result, 64 years after independence, basic necessities such as motor vehicles, petrol, clean water, and electricity remain luxuries available only to the elite.
May God grant Nigeria better leadership that will serve the entire population, not just a privileged few.
Labaran wrote from Abuja.
