2027 Presidency: APC Muslim-Muslim Ticket Sparks Fresh Debate

The decision by President Bola Tinubu to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election has reignited debate over the All Progressives Congress’ Muslim-Muslim ticket.

The ruling party’s confirmation ended months of speculation that Tinubu might replace Shettima with a Northern Christian ahead of the 2027 general election.

While the APC maintained that the decision was based on competence, political calculations and national interest, opposition parties, socio-political groups and religious stakeholders remain divided over whether leadership should be determined by merit or religious balance.

The APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, defended the decision, arguing that the Muslim-Muslim ticket had not produced the religious tensions predicted before the 2023 elections.

He said the administration had promoted interfaith harmony and insisted the party considered the broader interests of Nigerians before reaffirming the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance and the Young Progressives Party also downplayed concerns over the same-faith ticket, maintaining that competence, integrity and performance should remain the deciding factors in leadership selection.

However, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, the South-South Youths Initiative, the Middle Belt Forum and a faction of Afenifere criticised the decision, warning that it could deepen feelings of exclusion among Christian communities and undermine Nigeria’s religious diversity.

The National President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Pogu Bitrus, described the retention of the same-faith ticket as a wrong signal in a multi-religious country, while Afenifere insisted that fairness and inclusiveness should guide political leadership.

Political analyst and former Coalition of United Political Parties spokesman, Mark Adebayo, said issues such as security, the economy and governance were more likely to dominate the 2027 election than religious identity.

Similarly, the Ijaw Youths Council urged Nigerians to focus on competence rather than the faith of political candidates.

The renewed debate comes as political parties begin positioning ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with analysts expecting campaigns to focus on governance, economic reforms, insecurity and national unity.