Presidency Predictions Regarding Tinubu’s Final Running Mate Selection for the 2027 Election
According to the administration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would not reveal his running mate for 2027 until the All Progressives Congress (APC) publicly nominates him at its national conference in 2026. The purpose of this announcement was to allay persistent rumors that the vice presidential position might alter.
Vice President Kashim Shettima will not be replaced, according to an interview released on June 19 by Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s special adviser on communications and strategy. Onanuga denied reports that Shettima was being marginalized, even though the vice president was not included in some recent endorsements for Tinubu. He claims that this absence is common since the running mate is typically named after the candidate is chosen in Nigeria’s presidential system.
Onanuga also denied rumors that Tinubu’s previous actions as Lagos’s governor, including switching deputies, pointed to a plan to unseat Shettima. Those previous modifications, he clarified, were the result of particular political conflicts and do not constitute a norm. He underlined that Tinubu and Shettima still have a great working relationship and called reports of a falling out “beer parlour gossip.”
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In reference to the potential for a second Muslim-Muslim ticket, Onanuga stated that concerns over Islamization that arose after the previous election have greatly subsided. The majority of names being considered as possible running mates are Muslims, he noted, and this is no longer a contentious subject.
In a statement, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) cautioned the APC against removing Shettima. The group stressed that it might not be a good idea to replace the vice president and called for extensive consultations before making such a decision. Internal disagreements have been reported, especially at a recent APC North-East stakeholders’ conference in Gombe where some leaders supported Tinubu without bringing up Shettima. Later, Governor Babagana Zulum urged the party to stick with the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), the late Head of State General Sani Abacha’s former Chief Security Officer, has formally announced his plan to run for president in 2027 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
