Senior Special Assistant to the President Segun Onanuga on Thursday rejected rumours that President Bola Tinubu intends to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 election, describing such talk as “beer parlour gossip.”
Onanuga said that once the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issues the election timetable, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold its convention.
“If the president is nominated again, he will choose his running mate,” he stated, stressing that any decision on a running mate awaits the party’s formal nomination process.
Addressing comparisons to Tinubu’s two-term tenure as governor of Lagos State, “when he changed deputies twice”, Onanuga said those moves were driven by unique political circumstances, not a pattern of discarding deputies. He recounted that in Tinubu’s first term, Deputy Governor Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire left office after a reported disagreement; she was succeeded by Femi Pedro. In the second term, Pedro remained until defecting to another party to pursue his own gubernatorial aspirations.
“I don’t want to reopen old wounds, but that’s what happened. It’s wrong to say he has a pattern of discarding deputies. There were specific political circumstances each time,” Onanuga said.
On the state of relations between Tinubu and Shettima, Onanuga insisted the president and vice president enjoy an “excellent working relationship.” He called suggestions of a rift “ridiculous,” noting that even claims that Tinubu’s son Seyi was slated to serve as vice president were “absolute nonsense.” He added, “In this country, deputy roles, whether deputy governor or vice president, are always surrounded by rumours. But as far as I know, Tinubu and Shettima work together very well.”
When asked about the prospect of another Muslim–Muslim ticket in 2027, Onanuga said the issue has been settled. “Christians are living their lives. The president even attended the Pope’s inauguration in Rome. There’s nothing to worry about,” he said, adding that many names being speculated as potential running mates are Muslim, “so again, this isn’t an issue.”
Onanuga also defended the flurry of endorsements for Tinubu and the APC despite the campaign period not yet being officially open. He described the early show of support as a necessary counter to opposition attacks.
“If those in the so-called coalition had not started throwing missiles at the Tinubu administration and the APC, we would have waited until early next year to respond. But we had to show that we’re not asleep but ready to square up,” he said.
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