One question every public office holder seeking re-election must answer is simple: What changed because you were there?
For Vice President Kashim Shettima, that question demands a serious examination of his record in Borno State, the wider North-East and the Federal Government.
After nearly fifteen years in prominent public office, including eight years as Governor of Borno State, four years in the Senate and his current position as Vice President, Nigerians are entitled to ask what his leadership has delivered, particularly in security, public welfare and national development.
THE MAN AND HIS RECORD
Kashim Shettima governed Borno State from 2011 to 2019, a period during which the Boko Haram insurgency escalated into one of Nigeria’s gravest security and humanitarian crises.
The abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014 occurred during his administration and remains one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history.
From Borno Government House, Shettima proceeded to the Senate in 2019 before becoming Vice President in 2023. Few political leaders from the North-East have enjoyed such prolonged access to the machinery of government.
Yet Borno and neighbouring communities continue to confront insurgent attacks, abductions, displacement and threats to livelihoods.
The continuing security challenges in communities such as Marte, Chibok and Askira/Uba raise fundamental questions about the effectiveness and sustainability of the government’s counter-insurgency efforts.
Governor Babagana Zulum’s repeated appeals for stronger military operations, additional deployments and greater protection for vulnerable communities reinforce the urgency of those questions.
After so many years, why are families still uncertain about their safety?
NOT ONE FAILURE, BUT A PATTERN
No reasonable critic would suggest that nothing has been achieved. Nigerian troops have made sacrifices, rescued captives, reclaimed territory and supported the return of displaced communities.
Those efforts deserve recognition.
However, individual successes cannot substitute for lasting security.
The central concern is that, after years of political leadership, Borno continues to grapple with many of the same fundamental challenges: attacks on vulnerable communities, repeated displacement, insecurity on major roads and the abduction of innocent citizens.
Why are communities still exposed to recurring attacks? Why are parents still waiting for abducted children to return? Why does the protection of lives and property remain such an enormous challenge?
Leadership cannot be measured by announcements alone. It must be measured by results.
Shettima cannot reasonably be held personally responsible for every incident of insecurity. Nevertheless, his prolonged service as governor and now Vice President makes his record a legitimate subject of public scrutiny.
The issue is not whether he inherited difficulties. It is what he has demonstrably changed.
THE LIMITATIONS OF OFFICE AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD
The Vice President is not Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief. The Constitution places executive authority under the President, and the Vice President operates within that framework.
That constitutional reality must be acknowledged.
However, political influence extends beyond the formal powers of an office. It involves persuasion, advocacy, policy leadership and the courage to press difficult questions within government.
As a former governor from one of Nigeria’s most security-challenged regions, Shettima occupies a particularly important position.
What identifiable security reforms has he championed? What measurable interventions bear his influence? What concrete outcomes can be attributed to his advocacy for the Northeast?
These are legitimate questions, not unreasonable expectations.
A Vice President must offer more than political loyalty. He should demonstrate that his proximity to power produces meaningful benefits for the people.
WHERE WAS THE VOICE?
The people of Borno deserve a Vice President who visibly and consistently champions their security and welfare.
Governor Zulum has repeatedly drawn national attention to security concerns, including the plight of abducted children and the need for sustained military operations.
His engagements with the Presidency and military authorities demonstrate the continuing urgency of the crisis.
Where, then, is the equally visible leadership of the Vice President?
It may be argued that Shettima has engaged the President, service chiefs and other security officials privately. Such engagements are possible and should not be dismissed merely because they are not publicised.
But Nigerians are entitled to know what concrete results have followed..
Political office should provide a platform for effective intervention, not merely ceremonial representation.
For citizens who continue to endure insecurity, the ultimate test is whether government influence translates into protection.
BEYOND BORNO: THE NATIONAL RECORD
The concerns extend beyond Borno and the North-East.
Kidnapping, banditry, communal violence and other security challenges have continued to affect different parts of Nigeria.
At the same time, Nigerians have endured substantial economic hardship following major policy changes, including the removal of petrol subsidy and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market in 2023.
These decisions have had far-reaching consequences for household purchasing power, transportation costs and the cost of basic necessities.
As a principal member of the administration, the Vice President shares political responsibility for defending its policies and explaining their outcomes.
An administration cannot claim collective credit for achievements while treating public hardship as someone else’s burden.
For the average Nigerian, the questions remain straightforward: Is life safer? Is food more affordable? Are livelihoods improving? Is there greater confidence in the future?
A second-term mandate must be justified by credible answers.
THE QUESTION OF MORAL AUTHORITY
Shettima is entitled to scrutinise the political record of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Every public figure seeking leadership must be open to legitimate criticism.
Atiku’s record, including controversies surrounding privatisation and allegations he has denied, remains part of Nigeria’s political debate.
However, political accountability cannot operate in only one direction.
A Vice President who challenges the suitability of another political leader must be prepared to submit his own stewardship to the same standard.
What was achieved during his eight years governing Borno? What has his influence produced since entering the Presidency? What measurable progress can he demonstrate in security, economic stability and the wellbeing of Nigerians?
Moral authority is not automatically conferred by public office. It is established through credibility, consistency and demonstrable results.
Those who question the records of others must be willing to account for their own.
WHAT MUST JUSTIFY A SECOND TERM?
Re-election is not an automatic reward for occupying public office. It is a renewed mandate that must be earned.
Any administration seeking another term should clearly explain what it inherited, what it changed and what remains to be accomplished.
In Borno and the wider North-East, Nigerians should demand measurable commitments:
- A sustained reduction in attacks on military formations and civilian communities.
- Safe and voluntary return of displaced families to properly secured communities.
- Better-equipped, adequately remunerated and effectively supported security personnel.
- Stronger protection for schools, children and vulnerable settlements.
- Clear evidence of the Vice President’s contributions to security policy and regional recovery.
These are not extraordinary demands. They are fundamental obligations of government.
A political record should not be defended simply because its holder has spent many years in office. Longevity is not performance, and access to power is not evidence of achievement.
The question remains: What has changed because Kashim Shettima was there?
Until that question can be answered with convincing, measurable outcomes, the argument for another term will remain seriously contested.
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