Some very powerful people around Bola Tinubu are pushing for the replacement of the Vice President, Kashim shetima with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in the 2027 Presidential elections.
The ground work to that effect is the removal of Abdullahi Ganduje as the acting chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, paving the way for Kwankwaso to collapse the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, structures and move into the APC.
Kwankwaso is also being considered for a Ministerial position in the planned cabinet shakeup around May or June 2024. He is likely to go back to the Defence Ministry he once headed as Minister.
From the Defence Ministry, he would then emerge as a VP pick to replace Shetima in 2027, according to the strategies being put in place.
Presidency insiders told me that Kwankwaso will bring on board more Northern support than Shetima who is from the Northeast, a zone with a low voting bloc compared to the Northwest. The Northwest is a key battleground and Tinubu, who is desperate to get his second term, would like a chunk of the votes from the Northwest.
While as Governor of Lagos State, Tinubu had replaced Kofoworola Bucknor as Deputy Governor with Femi Pedro in 2002. Pedro served with him until 2007.
Credit to Jackson Udeh