Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who used to advise President Bola Tinubu on political matters, has said the president should have spoken directly about the rumours of removing Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 election.

There have been talks for months now that Tinubu may not pick Shettima as his running mate again for the next presidential election. These rumours have been spreading fast, especially on social media and political discussions.

Back in June, the president’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga, said people should not worry about the rumours. He called them a “non-issue” and explained that Tinubu would only pick a running mate after accepting his party’s (APC) nomination.

But Baba-Ahmed, speaking during an interview on Politics Today on Channels TV on July 23, said that was not enough. He believes President Tinubu should have come out to talk about the issue himself. According to him, keeping quiet makes the situation worse and gives people more reason to believe the rumours.

He also said that since the vice president is a key figure in the administration, the president’s silence can create doubt and confusion among supporters. Baba-Ahmed added that if the rumour is false, Tinubu should simply say so to clear the air.

“I would be very curious to find out what it is that fuels all these stories about dropping him (Shettima). I think, somewhere along the line, to be honest, the President should have done something a long time ago,” he said.

“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. 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.’