Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, says the president will pick his running mate for the 2027 presidential election only after the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its next national convention.
Onanuga made the clarification during an interview, amid growing controversy over perceived sidelining of Vice-President Kashim Shettima during a recent APC stakeholders’ summit in Gombe.
The event, which saw several speakers endorse Tinubu for a second term without any mention of Shettima, ended in chaos as some delegates protested with catcalls and threats of violence.
Responding to questions about the silence from the Presidency and rumours of a potential fallout between Tinubu and Shettima, Onanuga described the speculation as baseless.
“The debate is a non-issue,” he said. “In a presidential system, the candidate is nominated first and later picks 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 that the timing of the selection would follow the release of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s timetable.
“Once INEC releases the timetable, the party convention will hold, and if the president is nominated again, he will choose his running mate.”
Onanuga also dismissed claims of a strained relationship between Tinubu and Shettima, insisting the two leaders have a strong working rapport.
“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,” he said.
“People even say ridiculous things like Seyi Tinubu is the vice president. Absolute nonsense.”
He noted that in Nigeria, rumours often surround those in deputy positions, whether at the state or federal level:
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“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.”
Reacting to suggestions that Tinubu’s track record as Lagos State governor during which he had two deputies could be a sign of future changes, Onanuga cautioned against drawing false parallels.
“That’s just speculation. 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.
“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,” he explained.
“I don’t want to reopen old wounds, but that’s what happened. So, 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.”
