Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has challenged former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s vision of an equal partnership between a president and vice president, insisting that Nigeria’s Constitution clearly establishes the vice president in a subordinate role.
Shehu made the remarks on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday night in response to Obi’s announcement of former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election under the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
At the party’s national convention in Abuja, Obi declared that his administration would break from tradition by treating the vice president as a genuine partner rather than a “spare tyre.”
“The government we intend to form will no longer be a government where anybody will say that the vice president is a spare tyre,” Obi said. “The vice president will be a partner because we want to build a nation where there are two equal people who work for the greatness of the country. Decisions will be taken as partners. Everybody will be consulted.”
Shehu pushed back sharply, arguing that such an arrangement lacks constitutional backing.“The constitution of Nigeria made every vice president not only a spare part but an appendix that can be removed at will,” he stated. “He functions at the convenience of the president.”
The commentator added that political realities in Nigeria, including the influence of powerful cabals, make it impractical for a vice president to operate as an equal or independent figure. He urged Obi to focus on what is constitutionally feasible.
The exchange highlights ongoing debates about the role and powers of the vice presidency in Nigeria’s presidential system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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