Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has expressed concern over President Tinubu’s continued silence on widespread speculations suggesting a possible replacement of Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general election.
Baba-Ahmed, who resigned from his position in the Tinubu administration about three months ago, made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview on Politics Today, a political programme on Channels Television.
There have been growing rumours in recent months indicating that President Tinubu might be considering dropping Shettima as his running mate in favour of another northern candidate, possibly a Christian, in a strategic political move ahead of the next election cycle.
While presidential aide Bayo Onanuga had previously dismissed the claims in June as a “non-issue,” insisting that any decision on running mate would come only after Tinubu formally accepts the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination, Baba-Ahmed believes the issue warranted direct intervention from the president.
“I would be very curious to find out what it is that fuels all these stories about dropping him (Shettima),” Baba-Ahmed said.
“To be honest, the President should have done something a long time ago. If all these stories about dropping the Vice President for somebody else—another Northern Vice President, maybe a Christian—have absolutely no iota of truth, it would have taken just one thing: the President directly and personally saying, ‘Stop this nonsense. I have confidence in my Vice President, I work well with him, and I want this nonsense about me dropping him, now or in the future, to stop.’”
Baba-Ahmed added that in a political climate where perception matters, strong and timely communication from leaders is crucial to prevent distractions and ensure stability within the party and the administration.
