The presidency has reacted to reports that President Bola Tinubu will dump Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reports had stated that the president is set to choose a different running mate in the buildup to the polls.
Speaking in an interview, Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy said the president’s decision on a running mate for the 2027 election will be made public after the All Progressives Congress convention in 2026.
Also describing the report about a plan to drop VP Shettima as a non-issue, Onanuga said a candidate must emerge before anyone talks about his or her 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,” Onanuga said.
He further dismissed the claim that the is an existing rift between the president and his vice.
Reminded that when Tinubu governed Lagos State, he changed his deputy governors twice, Onanuga said it is wrong to claim that there is a pattern.
“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.