NIGERIA; Tinubu Yet To Commit To 2027 Running Mate – Aide

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

As internal disquiet simmers within the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signaled that any decision regarding his running mate for the 2027 election will not be made until after the party’s national convention.

This was made known to the media by the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

In a recent interview, Onanuga attempted to dismiss speculation that Vice President Kashim Shettima may be dropped as Tinubu’s running mate for the next election cycle. However, his comments only underscored the mounting uncertainty in Nigeria’s ruling party and suggested that the issue is far from settled.

While Onanuga insisted the process of choosing a vice-presidential candidate traditionally comes after the presidential nomination, the absence of Shettima’s name during a public endorsement of Tinubu’s second-term bid in Gombe has triggered fierce debates and visible cracks within the APC ranks.

The event, intended to drum up early support for Tinubu’s reelection, turned chaotic when delegates expressed outrage over the omission of the Vice President’s name. The disruption laid bare the underlying tension and suspicion that Shettima’s political future may be in jeopardy.

Onanuga attempted to quell the controversy, labeling the swirling rumors as “beer parlour gossip.” But his remarks also tacitly confirmed that no assurances have been made about Shettima’s 2027 prospects.

In what appeared to be an effort to downplay historical patterns, Onanuga brushed off concerns about Tinubu’s past disagreements with former deputies during his tenure as Lagos governor. Yet, he did acknowledge that Tinubu had a history of parting ways with his deputies—first with Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, and later with Femi Pedro.

The presidency’s refusal to firmly back Shettima is fuelling speculation that political calculations are already in motion behind closed doors. Analysts suggest the APC might be considering a running mate from a different region or demographic group to rebalance its electoral appeal.

For now, the Tinubu-Shettima alliance remains officially intact, but the public silence and the ambiguity surrounding 2027 have turned the vice presidency into a political battleground, drawing keen attention from power brokers within and outside the party.