President Bola Tinubu’s decision to sack Fegho Umunubo, Special Assistant on Digital and Creative Economy under Vice President Kashim Shettima, has stirred fresh talk about the uneasy relationship between Nigeria’s number one and number two. The fact that the announcement came directly from Tinubu’s office, and not Shettima’s, has fueled whispers that the vice president may be walking a familiar path of powerlessness.
This tension is not new. Back in 2003, Olusegun Obasanjo went to war with Atiku Abubakar after being forced to rely on him for the PDP ticket. By Obasanjo’s second term, Atiku’s loyalists were systematically removed, with Garba Shehu among the casualties. Obasanjo made it clear that in Aso Rock, the president rules alone and the deputy must know his place.
Umaru Musa Yar’Adua offered Goodluck Jonathan a little more breathing space, especially with Niger Delta policies and ministerial appointments. But when Yar’Adua’s health collapsed, Jonathan was sidelined by the so-called “Katsina Cabal” until he eventually took over after Yar’Adua’s death. Ironically, as president, Jonathan gave his own deputy, Namadi Sambo, more latitude—perhaps a reflection of his own bitter experience.
Yemi Osinbajo’s story under Muhammadu Buhari carried the same arc. Once hailed as the administration’s “brain box,” Osinbajo enjoyed rare authority as Acting President while Buhari was in London. But after he dared to sack DSS chief Lawal Daura, Buhari’s camp clipped his wings. From then on, Osinbajo was never trusted with power transfers again, and by Buhari’s second term, his influence had shrunk dramatically.
Now with Tinubu and Shettima, history seems to be repeating itself. Tinubu has yet to hand over to Shettima as acting president during his trips abroad, and Shettima’s official role often looks symbolic rather than substantive. The sacking of Umunubo, regardless of the alleged misconduct, is being seen as another reminder that the vice presidency in Nigeria is a position of prestige but not real power.
With 2027 looming, rumours abound—will Shettima remain on the ticket, or will northern power brokers push for a new arrangement? Tinubu’s birthday tribute to Shettima painted him as a trusted partner, but Umunubo’s removal has revived the old narrative: Nigeria’s vice presidents shine only when they stay firmly in line.
From Atiku to Jonathan to Osinbajo, the story has remained the same. And now, with Shettima, Aso Rock seems to be replaying that script—where the vice president is close enough to power to touch it, yet far enough to never hold it.
