Shettima joins Tinubu for Juma’at prayers amid speculation over 2027 ticket

Vice President Kashim Shettima joined President Bola Tinubu for Juma’at prayers in Abuja on Friday, amid growing speculation over alleged plans to drop him as Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The two leaders were seen together at the Ansar-Ud-Deen Central Mosque in Wuse 2, where they observed the weekly congregational prayers alongside several top government officials.

Also present at the mosque were the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Deputy Chief of Staff, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia; and governors AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), as well as the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin.

Their public appearance comes hours after Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga addressed the swirling rumours about Shettima’s political future, stating that the decision on who becomes the running mate in 2027 rests solely with the 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.

Onanuga also dismissed claims that Tinubu’s history of replacing deputies while serving as Lagos State governor points to a similar move in 2027.

“That’s just speculation. Yes, when he was governor, there were issues. In his first term, he and his deputy, Kofo, didn’t get along, and she had to leave. Femi Pedro replaced her. In the second term, he retained Pedro, but Pedro later defected—he wanted to be governor. That’s why he had to go. I don’t want to reopen old wounds, but that’s what happened.

“So, it’s wrong to say he has a pattern of discarding deputies. There were specific political circumstances each time. That’s what I’m explaining,” he said.

Addressing insinuations of a rift between the President and the Vice President, Onanuga maintained that the two leaders enjoy a solid working relationship.

“I’m not aware of any issues between the president and the vice president. From what I know, they have an excellent working relationship. All the speculation is just beer parlour gossip. People even say ridiculous things like Seyi Tinubu is the vice president—absolute nonsense.

“In this country, deputy roles—whether deputy governor or vice president—are always surrounded by rumours. Even when there’s no conflict, people around them will concoct stories. But as far as I know, Tinubu and Shettima work together very well,” he said.