Vice President of Nigeria

Vice President of Nigeria
Post	Vice President
Body	Nigeria
Insigniasize	150
Insigniacaption	Seal of the Vice President
Flagsize	150
Flagcaption	Flag of the Vice President
Incumbent	Kashim Shettima
Incumbentsince	29 May 2023
Department	Executive Branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Akinola Aguda House
Appointer	Election alongside the President of Nigeria
Termlength	Four years, renewable once
Formation	1 October 1963
Inaugural	Nwafor Orizu
Salary	₦2,026,400 annually (2020)

Vice President of Nigeria. The Vice President is the second-highest executive official in the Federal Government of Nigeria, serving as the principal deputy to the President of Nigeria. The office was formally established with the advent of the First Nigerian Republic in 1963, succeeding the earlier position of Prime Minister. The Vice President assumes the presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President and plays a key role in national governance, often chairing significant councils like the National Economic Council.

History and evolution

The office's origins trace to the Nigeria Independence Act 1960, which established a parliamentary system with a Governor-General and Prime Minister. Following the constitutional transition to a republic in 1963 under President Nnamdi Azikiwe, the position of Vice President was created, with Nwafor Orizu as the first holder. The role was abolished after the 1966 Nigerian coup d'état and the subsequent Nigerian Civil War, during which military rule by the Supreme Military Council prevailed. The office was reinstated with the Second Nigerian Republic in 1979 under the 1979 Constitution, modeled on the United States system, with Alex Ekwueme serving under President Shehu Shagari. The military regimes of Muhammadu Buhari and Ibrahim Babangida again suspended the office until the restoration of democracy in 1999 with the Fourth Nigerian Republic.

Constitutional role and duties

The Vice President's powers are derived primarily from the 1999 Constitution and assignments delegated by the President. The Vice President is a statutory member of the National Security Council and the National Defence Council, advising on critical matters of internal security and defence. By law, the Vice President chairs the National Economic Council, which comprises the thirty-six state governors and coordinates economic planning across the federation. Additional duties often include representing the President at major national and international events, such as summits of the African Union or the United Nations General Assembly, and overseeing key presidential initiatives like the National Social Investment Programme.

Election and succession

The Vice President is elected jointly with the President in a nationwide ticket, as mandated by the INEC, requiring a plurality vote and at least 25% of votes in two-thirds of the States of Nigeria. This process was solidified by the Electoral Act 2022. In the event of a presidential vacancy, the Vice President immediately assumes the office of President for the remainder of the term, as occurred in 2010 when Goodluck Jonathan succeeded Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. The line of succession then falls to the President of the Senate and then the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as witnessed during the brief interim of Senate President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 prior to his full inauguration.

List of vice presidents

Since 1963, thirteen individuals have served as Vice President. Notable figures from the First Republic include Nwafor Orizu. The Second Republic featured Alex Ekwueme. In the current Fourth Republic, holders have included Atiku Abubakar under President Olusegun Obasanjo, Namadi Sambo under President Goodluck Jonathan, and Yemi Osinbajo under President Muhammadu Buhari. The incumbent, Kashim Shettima, was inaugurated alongside President Bola Tinubu on 29 May 2023 following the 2023 Nigerian general election.

Office and residence

The primary workplace is the Presidential Villa complex in Abuja, often in the State House. The official residence is Akinola Aguda House, located within the Three Arms Zone of Abuja near the Supreme Court and the National Assembly. The Vice President's operational support is provided by the Office of the Vice President, which includes administrative staff, policy advisors, and the Vice President's Secretariat.

Relationship with the president

The dynamic is fundamentally shaped by the President's discretion, as seen historically with the close partnership between Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar early in the Fourth Nigerian Republic, which later became strained. Conversely, the relationship between Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo was characterized by significant delegation of domestic economic and social policy portfolios. The Vice President's influence often depends on their standing within the ruling party, such as the All Progressives Congress or the People's Democratic Party, and their role in managing key federal ministries or representing the administration in crucial negotiations with bodies like the National Assembly and the Nigeria Governors' Forum.

Category:Vice presidents of Nigeria Category:Government of Nigeria Category:National cabinets of Africa