ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu will choose his running mate for the 2027 presidential election only after the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its next national convention, according to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Onanuga disclosed this in an interview published Thursday, June 19, 2025, by Daily Trust, addressing rising speculation about the status of Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
His comments follow a wave of controversy triggered by the recent APC stakeholders’ summit in Gombe, where some party speakers endorsed President Tinubu for a second term without making any reference to Shettima.
The omission drew protests from delegates, with the event reportedly descending into catcalls and near-chaos.
In response to why the presidency had remained silent amid growing public interest and rumours, Onanuga dismissed the debate as a “non-issue,” explaining that in a presidential system, the candidate is selected first before a running mate is chosen.
“That’s what happened under Buhari — he was nominated first and later picked his running mate. You don’t do both at once,” Onanuga said.
“Once INEC releases the timetable, the party convention will hold, and if the president is nominated again, he will choose his running mate.”
He described speculations of a rift between President Tinubu and Vice-President Shettima as unfounded.
“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.
Onanuga also addressed social media chatter claiming Seyi Tinubu, the president’s son, is acting as a de facto vice president.
“People even say ridiculous things like Seyi Tinubu is the vice president. Absolute nonsense,” he said.
He noted that deputy roles in Nigerian politics — whether deputy governors or vice presidents — have often been surrounded by rumours, even in the absence of conflict.
“People around them will concoct stories. But as far as I know, Tinubu and Shettima work together very well,” he said.
The presidential adviser further pushed back against suggestions that President Tinubu’s record as Lagos State governor, where he changed deputies during his tenure, indicates a tendency to discard second-in-command officials.
“That’s just speculation,” Onanuga said.
“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. 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.”
“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 added.
