The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, Rabiu Kwankwaso, says he is surprised that President Bola Tinubu has opted to retain a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the next presidential election despite the controversy that trailed the arrangement in 2023.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Kwankwaso said the issue would remain a major factor in the next election.

Asked whether the same-faith ticket would still be an issue in 2027, the former Kano State governor replied, “It has to be.”

Expressing surprise at the President’s decision, Kwankwaso said, “I am even surprised that the President again is presenting the same type of ticket, and I know him; he is always somebody who likes to balance things.

“If you look at Lagos, he has always balanced it; even in his home, the ticket is balanced. I don’t know why the ticket in Nigeria is not balanced. But he still has time from now till the time of substitution to have a balanced ticket.”

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu, a Muslim, selected former Borno State governor Kashim Shettima, also a Muslim, as his running mate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The decision sparked widespread debate, with many Nigerians arguing that it undermined the religious balance needed in a country with almost equal numbers of Muslims and Christians.

Although Tinubu went on to win the election, the controversy surrounding the same-faith ticket has persisted, particularly after the President recently announced that he would retain Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 election.

Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket

Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), is now running as Peter Obi’s vice-presidential candidate under the NDC for the 2027 election.

Explaining his decision to team up with the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Kwankwaso said time had given him a better understanding of Obi’s personality and leadership qualities.

“I believe I know much more than I knew before the 2023 elections. Now I know that Peter is a very serious politician. He has this country in mind. He is somebody that one can rely on and so on and so forth,” Kwankwaso said.

He added that it was easy for both men to reach an agreement because they share similar ideas on how to move the country forward.

Asked why Nigerians should vote for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket in 2027, the former governor said the pair have solutions to the numerous challenges confronting the country, particularly insecurity.

“Our main concern today is the security in the country. You could see that in recent years the insecurity, mainly in the North-East, moved into the North-West, North-Central; now it is migrating into the southern part of the country, which is most unfortunate.

“Now, collectively, we believe that as determined people who have enough energy, as people who are confident and, of course, capable of handling issues, the first issue we believe we should tackle is the issue of insecurity in the country,” he said.

Beyond insecurity, Kwankwaso said he and Obi were determined to address economic challenges, decaying infrastructure and the education sector, stressing that no nation can achieve meaningful development without investing in the education of its people.

He also dismissed claims that Obi lacks popularity in northern Nigeria and would struggle to attract votes from the region, insisting that the NDC presidential candidate is well-grounded in the North and has demonstrated significant electoral strength there in previous elections. (Channels TV, excluding headine)