President Bola Tinubu’s decision to keep Vice President Kashim Shettima on the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2027 presidential election has triggered a fresh round of arguments across political parties, youth groups, and civic organizations, with opinion sharply divided on whether religion or performance should determine how Nigerians vote.
The ruling All Progressives Congress confirmed on Friday that Tinubu would seek re-election with Shettima, ending months of speculation that the president might replace him with a Northern Christian to ease religious tensions ahead of the election.
Opposition Parties Weigh In on the 2027 APC Ticket
The All Progressives Grand Alliance said Nigeria must move beyond identity-based politics. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opara, said competence should be the only measure that matters in 2027.
“Competence should remain the defining issue in 2027, not whether candidates are Muslims or Christians,” Opara said.
The Young Progressives Party backed that position. Its spokesman, Wale Egbeola-Martins, said the country’s governance problems have never been caused by the religious identity of leaders but by a failure of accountability and purpose.
“The real challenge confronting our nation since the return to democratic rule has not been the ethnic or religious identity of those in power, but the persistent deficit of purposeful and accountable leadership,” he said.
The APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, defended the choice, saying the Muslim-Muslim ticket did not produce the religious crisis critics predicted before the 2023 election. He said the party weighed religious sensitivities but ultimately acted in the broader national interest.
“The decision was reached after a careful assessment of the situation. The party is conscious of religious sensitivities but is also mindful of the broader interests of Nigerians,” Ibrahim said.
Electoral Calculations Drive APC Decision, Say Analysts
The National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party, Yabagi Yusuf, said the APC’s decision was driven by electoral calculations rather than doctrine. He argued that parties build their tickets around where votes are concentrated, not around religious optics.
“It’s politics. They must have done their calculations and concluded that this is their best chance of winning. In the end, elections are about where the votes are,” Yusuf said.
Mark Adebayo of the Coalition of United Political Parties said the Muslim-Muslim ticket is unlikely to generate the controversy it produced in 2023. He said security, the economy, and the government’s record will dominate the 2027 campaign instead.
“I do not think the Muslim-Muslim ticket will generate the same level of traction in 2027 as it did in 2023. The next election will be driven more by security, the economy, and the government’s performance,” Adebayo said.
The Ijaw Youths Council added its voice, with IYC Worldwide President Jonathan Lokpobiri saying Nigerians should focus on competence and governance results rather than candidates’ faith.
Groups Reject Shettima’s Renomination
Not everyone accepted the APC’s position. The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders described the retention of the Muslim-Muslim ticket as insensitive to Nigeria’s religious diversity. Its President-General, Goodluck Ibem, said overlooking a Northern Christian nominee risked deepening feelings of exclusion among millions of Nigerians.
“In a nation as religiously and culturally diverse as ours, leadership must not only be fair but must also be seen to be fair,” Ibem said.
The South-South Youths Initiative also rejected Shettima’s return, with its national president, Imeabe Oscar, alleging the APC kept Shettima primarily to consolidate electoral support in Northern Nigeria.
The Middle Belt Forum’s National President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, said retaining the ticket sends the wrong signal to Christian Nigerians and urged the APC to reconsider in the interest of national unity.
A faction of Afenifere led by Oba Olaitan Oladapo also faulted the move. Its national publicity secretary, Justice Faloye, said the president had once again shown disregard for federal character and religious balance.
Support came from APC stakeholders in Abia State, where party chairman Chijioke Chukwu said there was no justification for dropping Shettima, describing the Tinubu-Shettima working relationship as stable and productive. Ohanaeze chieftain Justice Rowland Ajuzieogu made a similar point, citing Shettima’s loyalty as the decisive factor in Tinubu’s choice.
Industrialist Sam Ohuabunwa said the 2023 victory proved the ticket works.
“Since Tinubu made the choice, heaven did not fall. He can do it again,” Ohuabunwa said.
With the APC’s position now settled, the 2027 presidential race opens with religion already on the agenda alongside security, the economy, and governance performance.
