The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, says the President’s running mate for the 2027 elections will be determined after the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its next convention.
Onanuga clarified in an interview with Daily Trust amid swirling rumours that Tinubu may replace Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the next election cycle.
The speculation gained momentum after some speakers at a recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe endorsed Tinubu for a second term without making any mention of Shettima — an omission that triggered tension and disrupted the event, as delegates demanded an explanation for the Vice President’s exclusion.
Responding to questions about the Presidency’s silence on the matter, Onanuga said there was no need to dignify what he described as a “non-issue.” He pointed out that in Nigeria’s presidential system, the candidate is typically chosen before a running mate is selected.
“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. “Once INEC releases the timetable, the party convention will hold, and if the president is nominated again, he will choose his running mate.”
He dismissed rumours of a strained relationship between Tinubu and Shettima as baseless, likening them to idle chatter. “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,” Onanuga said.
Onanuga speaks on Tinubu’s son assuming VP role
He also ridiculed more extreme claims, including one that suggested Tinubu’s son, Seyi, had effectively assumed the role of vice president. “People even say ridiculous things like Seyi Tinubu is the vice president. Absolute nonsense,” he said.
According to Onanuga, it is common in Nigeria for the roles of deputies — whether as vice presidents or deputy governors — to be surrounded by rumours, regardless of the actual working relationship. “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.”
Onanuga also addressed comparisons to Tinubu’s time as Lagos State governor, when some of his relationships with deputy governors ended contentiously. He acknowledged that there were challenges, but insisted each situation had its political context.
“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,” he said. “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.”
He pushed back against the idea that Tinubu has a habit of sidelining his deputies. “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 said.
