• Says no Northern Christian has the structure to match Tinubu’s strength

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has warned that replacing Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in the 2027 election would not only be counterproductive but also constitute a serious political miscalculation.

It maintained that the North does not have a Christian aspirant with the requisite grassroots backing, nationwide acceptance, and political machinery needed to effectively complement Tinubu’s electoral strength as a running mate.

There are growing indications that certain forces within the governing party are advocating for the replacement of Vice President Shettima, following the omission of his photograph from a banner displaying APC leaders in the North-East.

The banner, which appeared at the North-East Zonal Public Hearing on the amendment of the APC constitution in Maiduguri, featured only President Bola Tinubu, the five APC governors from the zone, and the party’s National Legal Adviser.

This development has reignited discussions about the future of the APC’s Muslim–Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections, as well as Shettima’s political standing. Some party stakeholders are calling for his replacement with a Christian from the North in the next election.

Similarly, groups from the North-Central have specifically urged that a Christian from the region be selected as President Tinubu’s running mate in 2027.

However, in a statement on Thursday, the North-Central APC Forum warned that replacing Shettima would spell danger and disaster for the party and jeopardise President Tinubu’s reelection.

The Forum stated that the North-Central is not seeking the vice-presidential slot, as its focus is on contesting the presidency in 2031, after the end of President Tinubu’s tenure.

Further warning against bringing religious sentiment into political calculations, the Forum said the North currently lacks a Christian candidate with enough grassroots support, national appeal, and political structure to complement Tinubu’s electoral strength as running mate.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, the APC Forum argued that dropping the Muslim–Muslim ticket would benefit the opposition in 2027.

“There is serious danger in changing a winning ticket. We totally and unequivocally reject calls and plans to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in the next election.

“We sincerely advise that President Bola Tinubu and leaders of the party should not listen to such calls because such a decision will turn out to be a grievous political miscalculation,” the statement said.

The APC Forum added that those behind the calls do not mean well for the party and Tinubu. “They don’t want to see President Bola Tinubu reelected; that is the only reason anybody with political knowledge could make such a request.”

Analysing the voting pattern in the North, the APC Forum stated that Tinubu would not gain new votes by replacing Shettima. Rather, it warned that dropping Shettima on religious grounds would lead to the President losing support and votes in the North.

The Forum noted that should the opposition coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC) pick Peter Obi as its presidential candidate, dropping Shettima would not make any strategic difference, as most minorities in the North will still vote for Obi, regardless of who replaces Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate.

The APC Forum advised Tinubu to maintain the status quo and continue with Shettima as his running mate in order to win the 2027 election.

Insisting that those asking Tinubu to drop the Muslim–Muslim ticket did not vote for him in 2023 and would still not give him their votes in 2027 even if he bows to their wish, the Forum added: “Those calling on President Bola Tinubu to change Vice President Kashim Shettima, basing their position 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.

“We don’t see any reason President Tinubu should listen to those asking him to change Shettima. These people did not contribute to his victory in 2023; they were not with him. Tinubu should ignore them and go ahead with Vice President Shettima, because those that will vote for him will vote for him. But he will be driving many of his voters away if he changes Shettima.”