Presidency Breaks Silence: Tinubu Yet to Pick 2027 Running Mate Amidst Rumors of Rift With VP Shettima

 

The Nigerian Presidency has finally addressed growing public speculation regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s choice of running mate for the 2027 general election. Contrary to circulating rumors, the Presidency affirmed that the President has not yet made a decision about who will join him on the ticket, stressing that such a move is premature at this stage.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, clarified the matter and dismissed concerns about Vice President Kashim Shettima’s absence from recent waves of political endorsements for Tinubu’s re-election. He emphasized that Tinubu remains focused on governance and has not yet formally accepted the party’s nomination for 2027.

Onanuga’s comments came in response to media speculation suggesting a possible breakdown in relations between Tinubu and Shettima. Reports had noted that while various political groups have begun rallying behind the President’s second-term ambition, Shettima’s name has been conspicuously missing from the endorsements, prompting whispers of internal discord.

Rejecting such insinuations, Onanuga stated that there is no rift between the President and the Vice President. He described the media reports as “baseless” and urged the public not to read too much into what he called political gossip.

He said, “When I read the report, I dismissed it as a non-issue. 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.”

Political observers recall that during President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, the announcement of his running mate came only after he secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket. This sequence of events, according to Onanuga, aligns with standard political procedures within Nigeria’s presidential system.

He further explained that until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases its timetable and the APC holds its national convention, President Tinubu cannot formally accept the party’s nomination nor make decisions concerning a running mate.

“Once INEC releases the timetable, the party convention will hold, and if the President is nominated again, he will choose his running mate,” Onanuga said.

This development may provide temporary relief for those within the APC who have been concerned about growing divisions within the leadership. It also places Vice President Shettima in a somewhat ambiguous but not necessarily precarious position, as nothing official has indicated his exclusion from future plans.

Still, the silence from the inner political circle and the absence of clear endorsements for Shettima have fueled conversations about whether Tinubu might consider a different running mate in 2027. Analysts point out that political strategy, zoning arrangements, and performance assessments often influence the final decision in such cases.

Onanuga, however, downplayed any assumptions that these factors are already at play, suggesting that the focus of the current administration remains squarely on delivering on its mandate rather than navigating the intricacies of the next election cycle.

The APC, Nigeria’s ruling party, is expected to hold its national convention in 2026, where it will formally nominate its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections. Until then, the party leadership has urged stakeholders to avoid premature declarations and allow the process to unfold according to established protocols.

Supporters of the President have continued to campaign informally, with several grassroots groups and state-level politicians urging Tinubu to seek re-election. While the President has not made any public statement regarding a second-term bid, insiders believe it is only a matter of time before he throws his hat into the ring once again.

For now, the political landscape remains fluid, with several moving parts and a careful balancing act ahead for the APC as it seeks to retain its grip on power amid economic challenges and calls for national unity.

Until formal declarations are made and nominations are confirmed, questions surrounding the Tinubu-Shettima alliance will continue to surface. But for now, the Presidency insists there is no crisis and that decisions about the 2027 race will come at the right time.