President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not announce his running mate for the 2027 presidential election until he is formally nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) at its convention in 2026.
This was disclosed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, during an exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Thursday.
Onanuga was reacting to concerns over Vice President Kashim Shettima’s absence from recent rounds of endorsements for Tinubu’s re-election bid. He dismissed speculations suggesting the vice president was being sidelined.
“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,” he explained.
He added that once the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases the official timetable, the APC convention will follow, and should President Tinubu secure the party’s nomination, he will then select a running mate.
Onanuga also addressed suggestions that Tinubu’s history as Lagos governor—where he changed his deputies—could signal plans to drop Shettima. He described such views as speculative and misleading.
“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, Pedro defected because he wanted to be governor. That’s why he had to go. It’s wrong to say he has a pattern of discarding deputies,” he said.
He dismissed rumours of a rift between Tinubu and Shettima as baseless and 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. Some even say ridiculous things like Seyi Tinubu is the vice president—absolute nonsense.”
Asked whether the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket that brought Tinubu and Shettima to power in 2023 would be repeated, Onanuga said the fears surrounding it have faded.
“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.”
On the recent wave of endorsements for President Tinubu despite INEC’s campaign restrictions, Onanuga said it was a strategic response to mounting opposition criticism.
“The endorsements are a reaction to something. If those in the so-called coalition hadn’t started throwing missiles at the Tinubu administration and the APC, the party would have waited until early next year to respond. But we had to show that we’re not asleep but ready to square up.”
He concluded by saying the endorsements are a sign of public confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership.
“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.”
