The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has warned that President Bola Tinubu could lose 80 per cent of northern Muslim votes if he bows to calls to jettison the Muslim-Muslim ticket and drop Vice President Kashim Shettima in 2027.

The North-Central APC Forum issued the warning in a statement released by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, in Abuja on Saturday.

Ahead of the 2027 election, Tinubu has come under pressure from various groups and stakeholders urging him to drop Shettima as his running mate. Some elements in the APC argue that the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which contributed to Tinubu’s victory in 2023, will not be effective in 2027, when he will be seeking a second term in office.

In a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum, led by Dominic Alancha, warned Tinubu against a repeat of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, noting that it had cost the APC several northern states, including Nasarawa, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, in the 2023 presidential poll.

Alancha further warned that the APC would lose more ground in the North, particularly in the Middle Belt, if the party repeats the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the next presidential election.

However, responding to the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum’s call on Tibubu to drop the Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2027 election, Zazzaga, a member of the APC campaign council for the 2023 election, noted that the adoption of the Muslim-Muslim ticket was a strategy to win election and does not amount to marginalisation of Christians and other religions.

Countering the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum’s assertion that Tinubu would lose Christian votes in the Middle Belt if he goes ahead with a Muslim-Muslim ticket, the Forum insisted that there is no way the President will lose the region, with prominent Middle Belt Christians such as APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and Secretary to Government of the Federation, George Akume, along others, holding key positions.

“The Muslim-Muslim ticket will not affect President Bola Tinubu’s chances in the Middle Belt, which is part of the North-Central, and this is because of the key positions held by Middle Belt Christians in the APC government. We can guarantee that Tinubu will get 90 per cent of the votes from the North-Central,” the statement said, adding that Tinubu’s achievements in office will guarantee his reelection and as a result, there is no need to take the “needless risk of changing a winning team”.

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

The Forum further argued that those who are asking Tinubu to drop the Muslim-Muslim ticket did not vote for him in 2023 and would still also not give him their votes in 2027 – even if he bows to their wish by dropping Shettima.

Parts of the statement read, “Those who 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 APC Forum accused those campaigning against Shettima and the Muslim-Muslim ticket of mischief, noting that they are seeking Tinubu’s defeat in 2027.

“The truth is, most of these people are not Tinubu’s supporters; they don’t really want him to win reelection in 2027. That is why some of them are going as far as urging Mr President to drop those who went to great lengths to work for his victory in 2023. They are only trying to deceive Mr President, but we believe the President knows better and will be able to see through their mischief. They don’t mean well for Mr President and the party.” (The Guardian)