Tinubu Will Pick 2027 Running Mate After APC Convention – Presidency

The Presidency has revealed that President Bola Tinubu will announce his running mate for the 2027 presidential election after the convention of the  All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2026.

This was made known by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, during an exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Thursday.

Amid speculation and controversy over Vice President Kashim Shettima being left out of recent endorsements for Tinubu’s second term, Onanuga said there’s no hidden message in the silence from the presidency.

He clarified that any decision about Tinubu’s running mate would only come after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases the election timetable and the APC holds its convention.

“When I read the report, I dismissed it as a non-issue. In a presidential system, the candidate emerges first and then selects 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.

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

Reacting to claims that Tinubu might drop Shettima because he changed deputies during his time as Lagos State governor, Onanuga said those past decisions were due to specific political issues and not part of a pattern.

“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. 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,” he said.

Bayo Onanuga also dismissed rumours of any tension between Tinubu and Shettima, saying they have a solid working relationship.

He said, “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. 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.”

When asked if this meant the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket used in 2023 would be repeated in 2027, Onanuga said the topic has lost its edge, and fears of Islamisation have long faded.

“Christians are living their lives. The president even attended the Pope’s inauguration in Rome. There’s nothing to worry about. Many of the names being speculated as potential running mates are Muslims. So again, this isn’t an issue,” he added.

On the issue of early endorsements coming in before the campaign period, Onanuga said the ruling party had to respond to attacks from the opposition.

“The endorsements are a reaction to something. If those in the so-called coalition had not started throwing missiles at the Tinubu administration and the APC, the APC would have waited until early next year to respond.

“But we had to show that we’re not asleep but ready to square up. You can’t expect the president to sit by while his opponents are plotting openly against him.

“We’re grateful for the confidence they have in him. Of course, we welcome the endorsements, even though the campaign period hasn’t officially begun. Everyone knows that. But because the opposition jumped the gun, the ruling party can’t just fold its arms,” he added.

KanyiDaily recalls that the controversy over Kashim Shettima’s absence from the wave of endorsements recently came to a head during the APC North East stakeholders’ summit in Gombe, where tensions reportedly ran high.