The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has warned President Bola Tinubu that he risks losing up to 80% of northern Muslim votes in 2027 if he bows to pressure to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In a statement by its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the forum dismissed calls from groups like the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum urging Tinubu to abandon the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which critics argue contributed to APC’s loss in states such as Nasarawa, Plateau, and the FCT during the 2023 election.
According to the forum, the Muslim-Muslim ticket was purely an election-winning strategy and does not marginalise Christians, citing key positions held by Middle Belt Christians, such as APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and SGF George Akume, as proof of inclusivity.
The group insisted that those urging Tinubu to drop Shettima were not his supporters in 2023 and would likely still not vote for him in 2027, even if he replaced his deputy.
It further accused some individuals close to the president of sidelining northern Muslim communities while focusing campaign efforts on northern Christians, warning that such actions could backfire.
Parts of the statement read, “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?”
The forum advised Tinubu to “maintain the status quo” and run with Shettima again, stressing that changing him would be a “needless risk” that could weaken the APC’s electoral chances.
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