President Bola Tinubu will choose his running mate for the 2027 presidential election only after the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its next national convention, according to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga made this clarification in an interview with Daily Trust, addressing rumours that President Tinubu plans to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 polls. The speculation gained traction after some speakers at an APC stakeholders’ summit in Gombe endorsed Tinubu for a second term without mentioning Shettima, a move that caused a stir among delegates at the event.
Responding to the controversy, Onanuga dismissed the claims as baseless, explaining that in Nigeria’s presidential system, a candidate is first nominated before selecting a running mate.
“That’s how it happened with Buhari. He was nominated first, and then he picked his running mate. It’s not done simultaneously. Once INEC releases the election timetable and the APC convention takes place, if President Tinubu is nominated again, he will choose his running mate,” he explained.
He also brushed aside rumours of a rift between Tinubu and Shettima, calling them “beer parlour gossip.”
“I’m not aware of any disagreement between the president and the vice president. From all indications, they enjoy a solid working relationship. Some of the rumours out there are just absurd like the claim that Seyi Tinubu is acting as vice president. That’s absolute nonsense,” Onanuga said.
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