Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has reacted to calls for him to become President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in the 2027 presidential election, saying he will wholeheartedly follow whatever directive the President gives him.
Naijaonpoint reports that Barau, who represents Kano North Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remarks on Wednesday while responding to questions from journalists during a media briefing on the forthcoming zonal public hearing of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review in Abuja.
Senator Barau was emphatic in his loyalty to President Tinubu, describing him as his political father and a leader who stood by him in critical political moments, including securing his Senate ticket and his emergence as Deputy Senate President.
He said, “Mr. President is my political father. You’ll be surprised if I start telling you what he has done for me and my people.
“When we had our problem in Kano, he resolved that issue for us. He made it possible for me to be given the ticket to the Senate in 2023. He stood by me to become the Deputy Senate President.”
Responding directly to the calls from political groups urging him to contest as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027, Barau dismissed the speculations as premature, insisting that now is the time for governance and not politicking.
He said, “So, if the time comes and he says, ‘I want you to work with me,’ I would say, ‘Thank you, sir,’ and I will do it. Whatever he asks me to do, I’ll do. I’m loyal to him — 100%.”
Barau emphasised that what the country needs now is to focus on governance and national development, and not political distractions about 2027.
He said, “Honestly, I don’t want to say anything about this now. Because one point is very clear — Mr. President has been trying so hard to change the trajectory of the country in a way that will bring prosperity to the nation.
“So bringing up this issue [of running mate] is quite premature. That’s why I told those groups — frankly, I don’t know them. I thank them for believing in me, but I told them, look, instead of wasting your energy on things that are not relevant now, channel your resources to support the President.”
Reaffirming his ideological alignment with the President, Barau described both of them as “progressives to the core”, saying that the APC family cherishes loyalty and service above ambition.
Barau added, “Our fates are tied together. Because we come from the same family — we are progressives. That’s about my political history. I’m a progressive to the core.
“We cherish loyalty. I’m 100% loyal to Mr. President.”