By Uzair Adam
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will only announce his running mate for the 2027 presidential election after officially accepting the party’s nomination during the All Progressives Congress (APC) convention in 2026.
This clarification was made by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Thursday.
Amid growing speculations over the absence of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s name in recent endorsements for Tinubu, Onanuga dismissed any insinuations of a planned replacement, describing the situation as “a non-issue.”
“In a presidential system, the candidate comes first, and then a running mate is picked. That’s what happened under Buhari—he was nominated first before selecting a running mate. The same process will apply here,” he said.
Onanuga stressed that a decision will only be made after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases its timetable, prompting the party to hold its convention.
He also rejected the idea that Tinubu’s history of changing deputies during his tenure as Lagos State governor hints at plans to drop Shettima.
“Those were different political circumstances. In his first term, he and his deputy, Kofo, had issues and she had to leave. Femi Pedro replaced her, but later defected in the second term to pursue a governorship ambition. It’s wrong to frame this as a pattern of discarding deputies,” he explained.
Addressing the speculation of a strained relationship between Tinubu and Shettima, Onanuga dismissed such claims as baseless rumors.“From what I know, they have an excellent working relationship. The idea that there’s friction is just beer parlour gossip. Some even claim Seyi Tinubu is the vice president—it’s all nonsense,” he said.
When asked if the APC would repeat the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027, Onanuga said the issue has lost relevance.
“There’s no Islamisation agenda. Christians are living freely, and the president even attended the Pope’s inauguration in Rome. Many of the speculated running mates are also Muslims—it’s not a matter of concern anymore,” he said.
Responding to criticisms over early endorsements before the official campaign season, Onanuga said it was a necessary reaction to opposition attacks.
“If the so-called coalition hadn’t started attacking the administration, we would’ve waited until next year. But we had to respond and show readiness. You can’t expect the president to stay silent while others plot openly,” he said.
He noted that the endorsements reflect public confidence in Tinubu’s leadership, even if the campaign has not yet formally begun.