The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has issued a strong warning to President Bola Tinubu, cautioning that he could lose up to 80% of northern Muslim votes in the 2027 general election if he succumbs to pressures advocating for the replacement of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In an official statement released by its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the forum rejected recent calls from groups such as the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum, which had urged Tinubu to abandon the current Muslim-Muslim ticket. Critics of the ticket argue that it contributed to APC’s defeat in key areas, including Nasarawa, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), during the 2023 elections.
The forum defended the Muslim-Muslim ticket as a pragmatic election-winning strategy rather than a move to marginalize Christians. To illustrate inclusivity, the statement highlighted key positions held by Middle Belt Christians in the APC administration, including APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume.
The statement further suggested that those calling for Shettima’s replacement were not genuine supporters of Tinubu in the 2023 election and implied that these individuals would likely still not vote for him in 2027 even if the vice president were replaced with a Christian candidate. The forum also criticized some of Tinubu’s aides for allegedly prioritizing northern Christian communities over northern Muslim ones in campaign strategies, warning that this could backfire and weaken the party’s electoral prospects.
Portions of the statement read, “Those calling on President Bola Tinubu to change Vice President Kashim Shettima, citing concerns over the Muslim-Muslim ticket, should note that in 2023, most of these communities voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party. If Peter Obi contests again in 2027, what assurance is there that these communities will support Tinubu simply because Shettima is replaced with a Christian? There is no guarantee they would abandon Peter Obi to vote for Tinubu.”
The forum concluded by advising President Tinubu to “maintain the status quo” and run with Shettima as his running mate again in 2027. The group stressed that altering the current ticket would constitute a “needless risk” that could undermine APC’s chances of electoral success in the northern states and across the country.