2027: Tinubu Will Pick His Running Mate After Party Convention, Says Presidency

Friday June 20, 2025|

President Bola Tinubu will name his running mate for the 2027 presidential election after the ruling party holds its convention in 2026.

This was made known by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, who addressed the silence surrounding Vice President Kashim Shettima’s exclusion from recent endorsements for Tinubu.

Onanuga explained that in Nigeria’s presidential system, a candidate must first emerge before naming a running mate, just as it happened during former President Buhari’s tenure.

He stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will release its timetable, and only after the convention will Tinubu make his choice for vice president.

“When I read the report, I dismissed it as a non-issue. In a presidential system, the candidate emerges first and then selects a 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,” he said.