Former presidential adviser, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has raised concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s silence on the growing rumours that Vice President Kashim Shettima might be replaced ahead of the next general election.
The speculation, which has lingered for months, has been dismissed by the presidency, with spokesperson Bayo Onanuga describing it back in June as a “non-issue.” But Baba-Ahmed insists the matter deserves more than just aides speaking for the President — he believes Tinubu himself should have addressed it head-on.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed, who resigned from the Tinubu administration about three months ago, expressed his unease.
“I would be very curious to find out what it is that makes all these stories about dropping him (Shettima). To be honest, I think the President should have done something about this a long time ago,” he said.
According to him, a simple and direct message from Tinubu could have killed the rumours once and for all.
“If all these stories about dropping the Vice President for somebody else — maybe another Northern VP, 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 dropping him to stop now or in the future.’”
Baba-Ahmed added that Tinubu could easily clarify that decisions about 2027 would be made when the time comes, but for now, his focus should be on governance.
He warned that Tinubu’s silence could fuel division within the ruling APC.
“It’s worrying, let me just say it is worrying. If this is exactly how the President feels, he should have said it. If not, he should find a way, but it must come from him — direct and emphatic,” he concluded.
