The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has urged President Bola Tinubu to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election, dismissing calls to end the "Muslim-Muslim" ticket arrangement.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, insisted that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, which delivered victory for the APC in 2023, should not be tampered with for political or religious reasons.
Zazzaga emphasised that the choice of running mate was a strategic decision aimed at ensuring electoral success, not at sidelining any religious group.
He pointed out that prominent Christians from the Middle Belt, including APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume, already hold top positions in the administration.
Zazzaga said the Muslim-Muslim ticket qould not affect President Bola Tinubu’s chances in the Middle Belt, which is part of the North-Central, because key positions are held by Middle-Belt Christians.
The Forum argued that those demanding Shettima’s replacement were largely from areas that supported Labour Party candidate Peter Obi in 2023.
The group maintained that Tinubu’s performance in office would be the determining factor in his re-election bid and urged him to consolidate on his achievements rather than altering a winning team ahead of 2027.
According to the statement, “The Muslim-Muslim ticket will not affect President Bola Tinubu’s chances in the Middle Belt, which is part of the North-Central, and this is because of the key positions held by Middle Belt Christians in the APC government.
“We can guarantee that Tinubu will get 90 percent of the votes from the North-Central. Tinubu’s achievements in office will guarantee his reelection and as a result, there is no need to take the needless risk of changing a winning team.
“Those that are calling on President Bola Tinubu to change Vice President Kashim Shettima, basing their agitation on the Muslim-Muslim ticket, if you check, you will notice that in 2023, most of their communities voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
“Now if Peter Obi is to come out again in 2027, as expected, what is the guarantee that they will vote for Tinubu even if he is to drop Shettima and replace him with a Christian? Does it mean that these people will now leave Peter Obi and vote for Tinubu?”
Zazzaga explained that Tinubu’s performance in office would play a decisive role in determining his chances of re-election, adding that the President should focus on consolidating his achievements rather than altering the political structure that brought him victory in 2023.
“We advise Mr President not to change what worked in the last election. Maintaining the same team will further strengthen the chances of the APC in 2027,” he added.
Meanwhile, during a recent appearance on Channels TV, the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum, led by Dominic Alancha, cautioned President Tinubu against repeating the Muslim-Muslim ticket, stressing that it contributed to the APC’s loss in several northern states, including Nasarawa, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, during the 2023 presidential election.
Alancha further warned that the party risks losing even more ground in the North, especially in the Middle Belt, if it adopts the same ticket in the next presidential race.
Post a Comment