A former presidential adviser, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has expressed strong concern over President Bola Tinubu’s silence regarding persistent rumours that Vice President Kashim Shettima may be replaced ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Although the presidency previously dismissed the claim through aides like presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, who labelled it a “non-issue” in June, Baba-Ahmed believes the issue merits a more direct and emphatic rebuttal from the President himself.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, July 23, Baba-Ahmed said the President’s refusal to publicly debunk the reports was “worrying” and could stir unnecessary political tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I would be very curious to find out what it is that makes all these stories about dropping him. I think, somewhere along the line, to be honest, the President should have done something a long time ago,” he said.
Clear the Air or Risk Division Within APC
Baba-Ahmed argued that if there was no truth to the reports, President Tinubu could have easily quashed the speculation with a firm statement reaffirming his confidence in Shettima.
“If all these stories about dropping the Vice President… 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…’ But he didn’t say that. His people didn’t say that.”
He warned that the President’s prolonged silence risks deepening divisions and suspicion within the ruling party.
“If what I have said is exactly what the president thinks, he should have said it. If he doesn’t say it the way I have, he should have found a way, but it should come from him – it should be direct and it must be emphatic,” Baba-Ahmed insisted.
