…Says calls for 2027 ticket ‘misplaced’

…Warns northern youth group to halt campaign, focus on governance

Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, has rejected calls urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pick him as a running mate in the 2027 presidential election, describing such demands as premature and counterproductive.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, the lawmaker warned that the campaign was distracting and urged all supporters to redirect their efforts toward supporting the President’s governance agenda.

Barau cautioned the Northern Nigeria Progressive Youth Assembly (NNPYA) and other campaigners to stop the push, saying that such activities were not in the interest of national unity or political stability.

He said, “My attention has been drawn to various posts on social media and in some national dailies by some groups, including the Northern Nigeria Progressive Youth Assembly (NNPYA), urging our leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to pick me as his running mate come 2027. This is out of place at this moment and not in our best interest.

“I want to appeal to the NNPYA and all other groups and individuals engaged in this clamour to refrain forthwith and channel their energies and resources towards supporting President Tinubu in his quest to address the numerous challenges facing our country,” Barau said.

He noted that the current national focus should be on consolidating the gains of the Tinubu administration.

Barau’s position comes amid growing speculations over the 2027 presidential ticket, with reports suggesting that the omission of Vice President Kashim Shettima at a recent North-East APC summit in Gombe State triggered internal discontent.

At the event, held on June 15, 2025, the APC North-East Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu, named Tinubu as the sole candidate for re-election without acknowledging the Vice President.

The omission caused a rowdy session and protest from members loyal to Shettima.

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has stated that discussions around President Tinubu’s running mate have not commenced, adding that such decisions will follow the party’s constitutional convention process.

“The running mate issue will be addressed at the appropriate time after the national convention,” Basiru said in a separate interview.

Meanwhile, Senator Barau reaffirmed his loyalty to the Tinubu administration and called on northern leaders and youth groups to desist from any early campaign distractions.

“I appeal to all to support the President in continuing with his programmes and policies that have started to bear positive fruits. Be part of the team to restore the glorious days of our country,” he said.