The Presidency has clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will announce his running mate for the 2027 presidential election only after the All Progressives Congress (APC) nominates him during its national convention slated for 2026.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made the clarification in an interview with Daily Trust, addressing growing speculations surrounding the President’s choice of a running mate.
“When I read the report, I dismissed it as a nonissue. In a presidential system, the candidate emerges and selects a running mate,” Onanuga said.
“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.”
Focus Shifts to APC Convention
As anticipation builds for the 2027 general election, various interest groups within the APC have speculated on potential vice-presidential picks. However, the Presidency’s statement has quelled the conjecture, affirming that any such decision will follow due process and come only after Tinubu’s renomination.
The upcoming 2026 APC convention is now seen as the decisive moment that will set the tone for Tinubu’s ticket, should he seek re-election.
APC Chairman Targeted at Stakeholders’ Meeting
In a related development, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment to the APC National Chairman, Chief Oliver Okpala, has condemned an alleged assault attempt on Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje during the party’s North East stakeholders’ meeting held in Gombe State over the weekend.
Okpala described the incident as a “grave threat to democracy and internal party cohesion,” calling on party members to uphold civility and discipline in their conduct.
“There is no space for violence in Nigeria’s political space presently. Party members should resort to the civilised tenet of political decency, decorum and comportment in their political activities,” he stated.
The statement underscores growing concerns over unity within the APC as it prepares for internal processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
