The Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum has encouraged President Bola Tinubu to replace Vice President Kashim Shettima and avoid running on the Muslim-Muslim ticket again in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that inclusivity is critical to Nigeria’s unity.
Dominic Alancha, the group’s head, said in a statement on Tuesday that balanced representation was the best way to create national cohesiveness.
Despite tremendous opposition during the 2023 campaign, Tinubu, then the APC presidential candidate, chose former Borno State governor Shettima as his running mate. The couple went on to win the election under the APC banner.
Despite predictions that Tinubu may not keep Shettima in 2027, the Presidency has stated that the President would make his decision at the proper time.
Analysts feel that Abdullahi Ganduje’s recent replacement as APC National Chairman by Netanwe Yilwatda may indicate that the party intends to run on the Muslim-Muslim ticket again.
However, the NENF warned that such a move might cost the APC important Middle Belt battleground states such as Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, and the FCT, as well as sections of Southern Kaduna, Southern Borno, Gombe, and Bauchi.
“The Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum, representing the marginalised ethnic nationalities of Northern Nigeria, issues a clarion call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC to abandon plans for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2027. Our demand is rooted in the urgent need for national cohesion, electoral viability, and justice for Nigeria’s diverse religious and ethnic communities,” the statement read.
The group claimed that the 2023 Muslim-Muslim ticket exacerbated religious tensions, alienated millions of Christians, and fuelled worries of Islamisation.
It referenced the Christian Association of Nigeria’s warning that such an approach might embolden non-state forces and jeopardise national unity.
According to the NENF, more than 80% of northern Christians rejected the APC in 2023, costing the party Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, and the FCT, while several prominent Christian lawmakers defected in protest.
The group also noted that Tinubu received only 36% of the vote in the North, despite the region’s Muslim majority—a sign of the ticket’s weakness.
“A repeat of the Muslim-Muslim ticket could see the APC lose Middle Belt states, where northern Christians command about 90 per cent of the votes. Even Muslim groups such as the Concerned Northern Muslim Ummah have warned that retaining the ticket might backfire.
“Peter Obi’s sweeping victories in Christian-dominated regions during the last election proved that exclusionary politics fuels opposition. A potential Obi–Atiku alliance could dismantle the APC’s support base,” it added.
The NENF reminded the APC that Nigeria’s founding fathers intentionally enshrined religious balance to prevent national polarisation, warning against recreating what it called the “dark memory” of the 1985 Buhari-led military dictatorship, the country’s only fully Muslim executive.
While appreciating Shettima’s skills, the group insisted that he cannot handle the issues raised by the 2023 ticket. It asked Tinubu to choose a northern Christian from Plateau, Bauchi, or Taraba as his running partner in 2027.
“We urge the President to make a public commitment to renounce the Muslim-Muslim ticket and restore national trust. Adopting a northern Christian vice president will broaden APC’s appeal, secure the North-Central and much of the Middle Belt, and raise the party’s vote share by up to 45 per cent in 2027.
This would follow the inclusive model adopted by Obasanjo and Buhari—balancing merit with national unity,” the statement concluded.
