Tinubu will choose his 2027 running mate after APC convention, says Bayo Onanuga

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, says President Bola Tinubu will choose his 2027 running mate after the next convention of the ruling party. 

Onanuga spoke on Thursday in an interview with Daily Trust.

His comments come in the wake of the controversy that marred the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ summit in Gombe, where some speakers endorsed Tinubu for a second term without mentioning Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

The omission triggered outrage among delegates, some of whom disrupted the event with catcalls and threats of violence.

Asked why the presidency has been mum on the debate amid speculations, Onanuga dismissed the subject as a “non-issue.”

He said in a presidential system, the candidate is nominated before selecting 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 said.

“Once INEC releases the timetable, the party convention will hold, and if the president is nominated again, he will choose his running mate.”

Onanuga added that insinuations of a rift between Tinubu and Shettima, which began making the round long before the current endorsement debate, were wide of the mark.

“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.

“In this country, deputy roles, whether deputy governor or vice president, are always surrounded by rumours. 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.”

He also rejected suggestions that Tinubu’s past record of changing deputies during his stint as Lagos governor is an ominous sign for Shettima.

“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,” Onanuga said.

“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. 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.”