A former political adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has raised concerns over the president’s continued silence regarding persistent rumours that Vice President Kashim Shettima may be dropped ahead of the 2027 elections.
Although the next general election is still two years away, speculation has been mounting about an alleged plan to replace Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate. In a June interview, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed the rumours as a “non-issue,” saying Tinubu would only select a running mate after securing the APC’s nomination.
However, appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed—who resigned from his post in the presidency three months ago—argued that the President should have personally addressed the speculation if it were truly baseless.
“I would be very curious to know what is driving these stories about dropping the Vice President,” he said. “To be honest, the President should have taken a stand long ago. If these rumours are false, it would have taken just one statement from him to put them to rest.”
He continued: “All he needed to say was, ‘I have full confidence in Vice President Shettima. We work well together. These rumours are baseless and should stop.’ He could have made it clear that discussions about 2027 are premature and that he’s focused on governance.”
Baba-Ahmed emphasized that such a direct and personal message from the President was necessary to end the damaging speculation, adding that the lack of a clear response is troubling.
“It’s worrying, let me just say it’s worrying,” he said. “If what I’ve just outlined is truly how the President feels, he should have said it. And even if not in those exact words, he should have found a way to say it clearly and emphatically—personally.”
