Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has clarified that the president will choose his 2027 running mate only after the upcoming All Progressives Congress (APC) convention.
Speaking during a televised interview, Onanuga sought to quell recent speculation surrounding the succession process within the ruling party.
His remarks come in the wake of a controversy that overshadowed the recent APC stakeholders’ summit in Gombe, where several speakers endorsed Tinubu for a second term without mentioning Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The omission provoked outrage among delegates, sparking disruptions marked by catcalls and threats.
Addressing rumors of a rift between President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima—speculation that has circulated even before the recent endorsement controversy—Onanuga categorically denied any discord.
Onanuga also rejected suggestions that President Tinubu’s history of replacing deputies during his tenure as Lagos governor foreshadows trouble for Vice President Shettima.
“That’s pure speculation. While there were disagreements with deputies in the past, each case was driven by specific political circumstances,” he stated. “In his first term, he and his deputy, Kofo, had differences that led to her departure.
Femi Pedro succeeded her but later defected because he aspired to be governor. These were unique political scenarios, not a pattern of discarding deputies.”
