Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, says the President will choose his running mate for the 2027 election after the next national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking in an interview with Daily Trust on Thursday, Onanuga addressed speculations surrounding Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s role in Tinubu’s potential re-election bid.
His remarks follow the recent APC stakeholders’ summit in Gombe, where some party members endorsed Tinubu for a second term but failed to mention Shettima, sparking outrage and disruptions during the event.
Responding to questions about the presidency’s silence on the matter, Onanuga dismissed the speculation as a “non-issue,” explaining that in a presidential system, the candidate is first nominated before selecting a running mate.
“That’s how it was with Buhari — he was nominated first, then picked his running mate. You don’t do both at once,” he said.
“Once INEC releases the timetable and the party holds its convention, if the president is nominated again, he’ll choose his running mate.”
Onanuga also downplayed rumours of a rift between Tinubu and Shettima, saying the duo enjoy a strong working relationship.
“I’m not aware of any issues between them. From what I know, they work very well together. All the speculation is just beer parlour gossip,” he said.
“Some even say absurd things like Seyi Tinubu is the vice president. That’s absolute nonsense.”
He noted that political roles like vice president or deputy governor often attract unfounded rumours, even in the absence of conflict.
Addressing concerns that Tinubu’s record of changing deputies as Lagos State governor could signal trouble for Shettima, Onanuga said such comparisons were misguided.
“Yes, there were issues during his time as governor. His first deputy, Kofo, had to leave due to disagreements. Femi Pedro replaced her and was later retained, but eventually defected because he wanted to be governor.
“It’s wrong to assume he has a habit of discarding deputies. Each case had its own political context.”