There is something oddly Shakespearean about the current whispers in Abuja. A vice president hears the rustling of ambition behind closed doors, and the floor seems to shift beneath his well-polished shoes. Whether Kashim Shettima will be on the APC ticket in 2027 is now more of a riddle than a fact. And the guessing game is loud.

Posters have begun surfacing regarding President Bola Tinubu and a rotation of possible running mates. Not officially sanctioned, of course, but the message is unmistakable: there’s movement in the wings.

Some call it strategic flexing; others see it as the beginning of a soft goodbye. What is most certain of it all is that Shettima’s status, once presumed unshakable, has turned speculative. A curious statement from the APC’s own North-east Vice Chairman didn’t help. According to him, the choice of running mate is up to the president, and not up for early discussion. Innocuous? Maybe. But in Nigeria’s political grammar, omission speaks volumes. Presidents don’t usually swap VPs midstream. Unless they plan to.

And what about Tinubu himself? Well, this is a man who prefers his allies in motion, often in competition, rarely comfortable. If the vice president is not guaranteed a place on the ticket, it may not be about disloyalty; it could just be politics at its coldest setting.

Still, this is a high-wire act, as thinkers have pointed out. Replace Shettima, and there’s the risk of backlash from the north. Keep him, and it might limit new alliances. Add to that the list of rumoured alternatives, from governors to technocrats, and the picture grows even murkier.

Yet for now, Shettima remains quiet, composed, and loyal—at least publicly. That may be his strongest card. In a season of scheming and second-guessing, sometimes the one who says the least says the most.