Former presidential adviser and elder statesman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has urged President Bola Tinubu to personally address ongoing speculation that he may replace Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme aired on Channels Television on Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed expressed concern over the persistent narrative and questioned why such rumours have not been firmly refuted by the President.
“I would be very curious to find out what it is that makes all these stories about dropping him [Shettima],” he said. “To be honest, the President should have done something a long time ago.”
Baba-Ahmed suggested that President Tinubu could have easily quashed the speculation with a direct and public declaration of confidence in his Vice President.
“If all these stories… 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 am happy with him,’” he stated.
He added that a statement reaffirming Tinubu’s support for Shettima would have ended the rumours and reduced political distractions.
Although presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed the claims in June, calling them a “non-issue,” Baba-Ahmed argued that silence from Tinubu himself only adds to the uncertainty and political tension.
“The lack of a direct response from the President is worrying,” he said. “If what I have said is exactly what the President thinks, he should have said it… It must come from him. It should be direct and emphatic.”
Baba-Ahmed warned that without clear communication from the presidency, such speculation could continue to distract from governance and destabilize public trust.
