President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not reveal his running mate for 2027 until the All Progressives Congress (APC) properly nominates him at its national convention in 2026, the presidency has clarified. In response to persistent rumors that the vice presidential position would alter, this announcement was made.
In a June 19 interview, Tinubu’s special adviser on strategy and information, Bayo Onanuga, said that Vice President Kashim Shettima would not be replaced. Even while the vice president was not mentioned in any recent endorsements for Tinubu, Onanuga denied rumors that Shettima was being marginalized. Since the Nigerian presidential system often chooses a candidate first and announces the running mate later, he said, this omission is not out of the ordinary.
Onanuga also denied that Tinubu’s previous actions as Lagos’s governor, including switching deputies, suggested that he intended to unseat Shettima. He clarified that such previous adjustments were the result of particular political conflicts and do not reflect a norm. He stressed that Shettima and Tinubu still have a great working relationship and called reports of a falling out “beer parlour gossip.”
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Onanuga stated that concerns over Islamization, which arose after the previous election, have greatly subsided with regard to the potential for another Muslim-Muslim ticket. He noted that this is no longer a contentious subject and that the majority of names being considered as possible running partners are Muslims.
The APC has been cautioned by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) not to replace Shettima. The group emphasized that replacing the vice president could be a bad idea and called for extensive consultations before making any such move. At a recent APC North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, some leaders approved Tinubu without bringing up Shettima, amidst rumors of internal strife. The party was later urged to keep the Tinubu-Shettima ticket by Governor Babagana Zulum.
Former Head of State General Sani Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), has formally announced his plan to run for president in 2027 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
