2027: Drop Shettima and Lose Northern Muslim Votes – APC Forum Warns Tinubu
The warning comes amid renewed agitation from some political stakeholders urging the President to adopt a religiously balanced ticket ahead of his possible re-election bid.
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2027: Drop Shettima and Lose Northern Muslim Votes – APC Forum Warns Tinubu
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2027 presidential election, warning that such a decision could cost him massive support in the North.
In a statement issued by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the Forum said Tinubu risks losing up to 80 percent of northern Muslim votes if he abandons the Muslim-Muslim ticket that brought the APC to power in 2023.
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The warning comes amid renewed agitation from some political stakeholders urging the President to adopt a religiously balanced ticket ahead of his possible re-election bid.
Critics argue that the Muslim-Muslim pairing contributed to the APC’s poor performance in key northern states such as Plateau, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during the last polls.
But the Forum insists the formula remains politically viable. Zazzaga stressed that complaints of Christian exclusion are misplaced, pointing out that Middle Belt Christians already occupy strategic positions in Tinubu’s administration, including APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume.
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“The people pushing for a change are not APC loyalists. Many of them supported Peter Obi in 2023 and will still vote for him if he runs again, regardless of Tinubu’s choice of running mate,” the statement read.
The Forum also accused some of the President’s close allies of sidelining northern Muslim communities while prioritizing northern Christians in the distribution of political appointments and resources, a move it said could backfire in the next election.
Advising the President to “maintain the status quo,” the group warned that replacing Shettima might alienate Muslim voters without necessarily winning over Christian voters, thereby endangering APC’s chances in 2027.
