While the 2027 elections are still two years away, the political temperature around who becomes Tinubu’s running mate is already rising — and the true story isn’t about 2027. It’s about 2031.
- Tinubu hasn’t picked a 2027 VP, but contenders are already lobbying.
- Northern APC powerbrokers fear giving Shettima a second term would crown him heir apparent in 2031.
- Ex-Speaker Dogara, El-Rufai, Barau Jibrin, and others are being floated — with some disowning the campaigns in their name.
- Analysts say the real motive is to secure early access to the presidency after Tinubu.
- Religious and regional balancing is complicating the choice.
- Tinubu’s silence is strategic, but party insiders are restless.
This is not a battle for VP; it’s a battle for succession. The earlier the ticket is decided, the earlier political calculations for 2031 begin to solidify. In the APC’s north-heavy structure, whoever gets that VP slot will hold the keys to the future, or at least believe they do. Tinubu may still be deciding, but for the party’s northern elite, the race to 2031 has already begun — and the gloves are off.
