Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, CFR, has firmly shut down growing speculations linking him to a 2027 presidential ticket alongside President Bola Tinubu, declaring such moves as “ill-timed and distracting.”
Reacting to campaigns by the Northern Nigeria Progressive Youth Assembly (NNPYA) urging Tinubu to consider him as a running mate, Barau described the move as “misplaced” and urged the group and others to channel their energy toward national development.
“My attention has been drawn to publications and online posts suggesting I should be picked as running mate in 2027. This is not just premature — it is unnecessary and unhelpful,” Barau said in a statement issued by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir.
Barau, who also serves as First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, warned that such campaigns could derail the President’s focus and urged his supporters to prove their loyalty by backing the government’s policies and programs.
“If you truly support me, then the best way to show it is to support the President. Let us unite to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he stressed.
Reaffirming his total commitment to President Tinubu’s leadership, Barau called on Nigerians to resist early politicking and focus instead on building a stronger, reformed nation.
“This is a season for rebuilding Nigeria — not political games. The national interest must come first,” he declared.
