Former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the exclusive right to decide whether to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate or choose someone else for the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, Sheriff emphasised that the choice of a running mate lies solely with the president.
“It is just some young members of the political party who are angry because Vice President Kashim Shettima’s name must be mentioned. I don’t think that has called for any rowdiness,” he said.
“The president has the exclusive right over who becomes his running mate any day, anytime. Just as he chose Shettima in 2023, if he wants to pick him again, he will. Nobody can dictate to the president what to do.”
In recent weeks, there has been growing speculation over a possible rift between Tinubu and Shettima, with some political commentators suggesting that their relationship has soured ahead of the 2027 polls. Others point to Tinubu’s history of changing running mates during his political career, including his tenure as Lagos State governor.
However, some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have dismissed these rumours, insisting that the relationship between the president and vice president remains cordial.
The controversy deepened after APC governors endorsed Tinubu as the party’s candidate for 2027 during a recent summit in Gombe but made no mention of Shettima.
When asked about claims of political figures trying to create a divide between Tinubu and Shettima, Sheriff said he does not involve himself in such matters.
“I told you from the beginning of the programme that most of the time I live outside Nigeria. Even today, as I’m talking to you, I flew in this morning, so I don’t pay attention to businesses that are not mine,” he noted.
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