President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been lauded for retaining Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election.
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, lauded Mr. President while reacting to his decision to stick with his VP, having been working harmoniously with Shettima since their inauguration on May 29, 2023.
Okechukwu, who is a former Director General of Voice of Nigeria(VON), said he was delighted that, “after all the speculations, rigmarole and political maneuvering surrounding the issue, President Tinubu graciously retained Vice President Shettima”.
However, he humbly appealed to Mr. President “to delegate greater responsibilities to (VP Shettima) in overseeing the nation’s economic affairs”.
“May I humbly request that more powers be delegated to him(VP) to oversee economic affairs,” he said, adding, “I am making this humble appeal based on the fact that the economic reforms of Mr. President have yielded significant gains at the macroeconomic stability level.
“However, hunger and poverty remain pressing challenges, which invariably require the urgent delegation of greater economic responsibilities to the Vice President, given his background in rural development and economic management.”
Okechukwu recalled that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), godfather of neoliberalism and leading advocate of neoliberal economic policies, noted in its 2026 Article IV Consultation on Nigeria that the country requires more inclusive growth, as approximately 63 percent of Nigerians now live below the national poverty line.
He noted that while Mr President’s economic reforms have improved key macroeconomic indicators, greater attention must be directed toward translating those gains into tangible improvements in the living standards of ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, Shettima’s academic background in Agricultural Economics, experience in banking, and record in public service place him in a strong position to support efforts aimed at reducing poverty, promoting rural development, and ensuring that economic growth becomes more inclusive.
