Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, has stated that President Bola Tinubu will decide on his running mate for the 2027 election after the next convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Onanuga made this known in an interview with Daily Trust, addressing rumours that President Tinubu intends to replace Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 polls.
The rumour recently triggered a controversy after certain speakers at the APC stakeholders’ summit in Gombe endorsed President Tinubu for a second term but failed to mention Shettima.
The exclusion caused a disruption at the event, as some delegates raised concerns about the omission of the Vice President’s name during the endorsement.
When questioned about the presidency’s silence on the allegation, Onanuga brushed it off as a “non-issue,” explaining that in a presidential system, the presidential candidate is nominated before selecting a running mate.
Onanuga stated, “That’s what happened under Buhari; he was nominated first and later picked his running mate. You don’t do both at once.
“Once INEC releases the timetable, the party convention will hold, and if the president is nominated again, he will choose his running mate.”
The presidential spokesperson also rejected claims of a rift between President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima, calling it “a beer parlour gist” and stating he was unaware of any such issue.
“I’m not aware of any issues between the president and the vice president. From what I know, they have an excellent working relationship. All the speculation is just beer parlour gossip,” he said.
“People even say ridiculous things like Seyi Tinubu is the vice president. Absolute nonsense.”
“In this country, deputy roles, whether deputy governor or vice president, are always surrounded by rumours. Even when there’s no conflict, people around them will concoct stories. But as far as I know, Tinubu and Shettima work together very well.”
Onanuga dismissed the suggestion that Tinubu’s past relationships with former deputies while he was Lagos governor indicate a negative outlook for Shettima.
“That’s just speculation. Yes, when he was governor, there were issues. In his first term, he and his deputy, Kofo, didn’t get along, and she had to leave,” Onanuga said.
“Femi Pedro replaced her. In the second term, he retained Pedro, but Pedro later defected — he wanted to be governor. That’s why he had to go. I don’t want to reopen old wounds, but that’s what happened.
“So, it’s wrong to say he has a pattern of discarding deputies. There were specific political circumstances each time. That’s what I’m explaining.”
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