The presidency has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will name his running mate for the 2027 presidential election only after the All Progressives Congress (APC) formally nominates him at its national convention slated for 2026. This clarification comes amid growing speculation over whether the president plans to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima on the ticket.
Speaking in an interview published on June 19, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, addressed the rumours. He dismissed claims that Shettima was being sidelined, noting that recent endorsements for Tinubu that did not mention the vice president should not be misinterpreted. Onanuga explained that in Nigeria’s presidential system, it is standard practice for a party to confirm its presidential candidate first, before the announcement of a running mate.
Responding to suggestions that Tinubu’s history of changing deputies as governor of Lagos signals a similar plan for 2027, Onanuga said such claims were unfounded. He clarified that those past decisions were driven by specific political circumstances and do not suggest a pattern. According to him, President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima enjoy a solid working relationship, and speculation about a rift amounts to nothing more than “beer parlour gossip.”
Onanuga also touched on the sensitive subject of the Muslim-Muslim ticket. He argued that fears of Islamisation, which were a topic of heated debate during the last election cycle, have largely faded. He pointed out that most names currently being floated as potential running mates are Muslims and that this is no longer a major source of division.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has cautioned the APC against replacing Shettima, urging the party to consult widely before considering any change to the ticket. The appeal follows reports of unease within party ranks, particularly after an APC North-East stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, where some leaders endorsed Tinubu without explicitly backing the vice president. However, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum later called on the party to retain the Tinubu-Shettima pairing for 2027.
In a related development, retired Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to the late General Sani Abacha, has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election. Al-Mustapha will run under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
