The Truth Behind the Claims Against Vice President Kashim Shettima
By Comrade Habib S. Umar
In recent weeks, social media speculation has suggested that Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, failed to wish Christians a Merry Christmas and did not extend New Year greetings to Nigerians. The claim, repeated often enough to sound convincing to some, rests largely on assumption rather than evidence and ignores a crucial fact: the Vice President spent Christmas Day responding to a deadly national tragedy.
On Christmas Day, Borno State was struck by a horrific bombing that claimed many lives, destroyed properties, and left several people injured. In a region already burdened by years of insecurity, the attack was not only tragic but deeply destabilising. Rather than engage in ceremonial messaging, Vice President Kashim Shettima travelled to Borno State to assess the situation firsthand, sympathise with victims, engage with security agencies, and reaffirm the federal government’s commitment to protecting lives and restoring stability.
Framing this moment of crisis as evidence of religious insensitivity is misleading and fundamentally unfair. The allegation against the Vice President is not that he made an offensive statement or pursued a discriminatory policy, but that some Nigerians did not see a widely circulated Christmas goodwill message from him. From this absence, an accusation of exclusion was constructed.
This line of reasoning is deeply flawed. Public office does not require leaders to prioritise symbolic gestures over urgent responsibility, especially during emergencies. Responding to loss of life is not neglect; it is leadership. Physical presence at the site of tragedy is not silence; it is action.
Furthermore, a significant number of security personnel and staff in the Office of the Vice President are Christians, a clear indication that Vice President Shettima does not discriminate on the basis of religion. He works with individuals he considers competent and trustworthy, regardless of their faith, underscoring his belief in national unity and religious coexistence.
There is also no credible report from any mainstream media organisation stating that Vice President Shettima refused to wish Christians well or deliberately avoided festive greetings. The narrative exists almost entirely within social media echo chambers, sustained by repetition rather than proof.
Claims that the Vice President also failed to wish Nigerians a Happy New Year collapse entirely under scrutiny. He issued a New Year message in which he addressed the nation, reflected on the country’s challenges, and called for unity, resilience, and collective responsibility. A leader who speaks to the nation at the start of the year cannot reasonably be accused of withholding goodwill from the same people.
This episode reflects a growing and dangerous habit in Nigerian public discourse: judging leadership through selective visibility rather than verified facts. It also demonstrates how sensitive issues such as religion can be weaponised when context is ignored. Accountability is vital in a democracy, but it must be grounded in truth, not conjecture.
Vice President Kashim Shettima did not spend Christmas Day ignoring Nigerians or excluding Christians. He spent it confronting the aftermath of violence, mourning lives lost, and engaging in crisis response in Borno State. The claim that he failed to wish Christians a Merry Christmas or Nigerians a Happy New Year is not supported by evidence and does not survive careful examination. Leadership is measured not only by words spoken, but by responsibility shown, especially in moments of national pain.
Habib S. Umar is a public affairs commentator and political analyst based in Abuja.
