President Bola Tinubu has finally broken his silence on the fate of Vice President Kashim Shettima in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election.
The president said he would select his running mate for the election only after officially accepting the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination at the party’s national convention.
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Bayo Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, disclosed this in an interview with Daily Trust on Thursday.
His remark comes amidst escalating speculation regarding the political future of Vice President Kashim Shettima, particularly after a series of endorsements for President Tinubu’s re-election seemingly overlooked the current vice president.
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Mr Onanuga vehemently refuted claims that the presidency’s silence on these endorsements implied his support for Mr Shettima’s exclusion. He also dismissed allegations that President Tinubu’s history of changing deputies twice during his tenure as governor of Lagos State suggests a possibility of replacing Mr Shettima before the next election.
“When I read the report, I dismissed it as a non-issue,” Mr Onanuga stated. “In a presidential system, the candidate emerges first and then selects a running mate. That’s what happened under Buhari—he was nominated first and later picked his running mate. You don’t do both at once.”
He reiterated, “Once INEC releases the timetable, the party convention will hold, and if the president is nominated again, he will choose his running mate.”
Mr Onanuga clarified the historical context of Mr Tinubu’s previous deputy changes in Lagos.
“That’s just speculation. Yes, when he was governor, there were issues. In his first term, he and his deputy, Kofo (Bucknor-Akerele), didn’t get along, and she had to leave. 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.”
He also denied any friction between the President and Vice President. “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. People even say ridiculous things like Seyi Tinubu is the vice president—absolute nonsense.”
He attributed such rumours to a common trend surrounding deputy roles in the country. “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.”
Responding to concerns about religious balance, especially with a Muslim-Muslim ticket, Mr Onanuga dismissed the fears. “Christians are living their lives. The president even attended the Pope’s inauguration in Rome. There’s nothing to worry about. Many of the names being speculated as potential running mates are Muslims. So again, this isn’t an issue.”
Finally, Mr Onanuga addressed the recent spate of endorsements for President Tinubu, explaining them as a strategic response to opposition activities.
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“The endorsements are a reaction to something. If those in the so-called coalition had not started throwing missiles at the Tinubu administration and the APC, the APC would have waited until early next year to respond. But we had to show that we’re not asleep but ready to square up. You can’t expect the president to sit by while his opponents are plotting openly against him.”
He concluded by welcoming the endorsements despite the official campaign period not yet commencing. “We’re grateful for the confidence they have in him. Of course, we welcome the endorsements, even though the campaign period hasn’t officially begun. Everyone knows that. But because the opposition jumped the gun, the ruling party can’t just fold its arms.”
