Former presidential adviser, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has raised concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s continued silence amid growing speculation that Vice President Kashim Shettima may be dropped as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Baba-Ahmed said the President should have addressed the rumours directly to end the uncertainty.
“I would be very curious to find out what it is that makes all these stories about dropping him [Shettima],” Baba-Ahmed stated.
He stressed that such speculation could be easily dispelled with a public and unequivocal statement from the President affirming his support for the Vice President.
“If all these stories about dropping the Vice President for somebody else — another Northern Vice President, maybe a Christian, maybe from somewhere else — have absolutely no iota of truth, it would have taken just one thing: the President directly and personally saying, ‘Stop this nonsense,’” he said.
According to him, a clear message of confidence and collaboration from Tinubu would have ended the debate and prevented political distractions.
“I have confidence in my Vice President, I work well with him, I am happy with him, and I want this nonsense about me dropping him, now or in the future, to stop,” Baba-Ahmed imagined Tinubu should have said.
He noted that neither the President nor his spokespersons have provided such assurances, leaving room for speculation as the 2027 election cycle gradually approaches.
