Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the president on information and strategy, has said that President Bola Tinubu will choose his 2027 running mate after the next convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Onanuga disclosed this in an interview with Daily Trust, following the speculation about President Tinubu’s alleged plan to drop Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 election.
The speculation recently sparked a controversy when some speakers at the APC stakeholders summit in Gombe endorsed President Tinubu for a second term without mentioning Shettima.
The omission led to the event’s disruption as some delegates questioned why the Vice President’s name was not mentioned during the endorsement.
When asked why the presidency has not reacted to the allegation, Onanuga dismissed the subject as a “non-issue,” saying that in a presidential system, the presidential candidate is nominated before a running mate is selected.
Onanuga said, “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 dismissed the speculation of a rift between President Tinubu and Shettima as ‘a beer palour gist’, saying he is not aware of it.
“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 also rejected the insinuation that Tinubu’s relationship with former deputies during his stint as Lagos governor is an ominous sign 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.”
