Christians Now Comfortable With Muslim-Muslim Ticket — Aliyu

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouk Aliyu, has said Nigerian Christians are now more receptive of the party’s same-faith presidential ticket than they were before the 2023 general election.

NEWSNGR reports that Aliyu argued that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had allayed fears that Christians would be marginalised under a government led by a Muslim President and Vice President.

He spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, following the decision of the President to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 election.

Defending the decision, Aliyu said Tinubu and the APC leadership saw no reason to alter a ticket that secured victory in the last presidential election.

Aliyu said, “Our leader, the President, decided in his wisdom not to change the winning ticket.

“And the Christians in this country, I am sure, are now comfortable, much, much more comfortable than when we came up with the Muslim-Muslim ticket.”

According to him, the party believes the political and religious concerns raised in 2023 have reduced following the administration’s record in office.

Aliyu recalled that the APC faced widespread criticism when it presented Tinubu and Shettima, both Muslims, as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates in 2023.

He said many critics feared that Christians would be excluded from key positions or treated unfairly by the administration.

According to Aliyu, “That was when there was a lot of hue and cry that the Christians were going to be marginalised.

“Well, now it’s history that nobody is being marginalised along religious lines.”

The APC chieftain maintained that Tinubu had governed without allowing religious considerations to determine his leadership decisions.

“President Tinubu has been leading this country as a Nigerian, not anybody with any religious toga,” Aliyu added.

Party Backs Shettima’s Retention

Aliyu said the APC was satisfied with the decision to retain Shettima on the presidential ticket.

He argued that replacing the Vice President could have created fresh internal political challenges for the ruling party ahead of the election.

Aliyu further stated, “Now it is our own decision, the party, of course, through the leader, to retain Kashim Shettima.

“We are very happy that the ticket has not been tinkered with, so that we also, as a party, don’t have to start thinking what next to do.”

The party chieftain expressed confidence that Nigerians would once again support the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in 2027.

Aliyu said, “We’ve tried it when it was hectic, when it was about impossible, and Nigerians believed in us, gave us the chance, and we are doing it again.

“And we hope Nigerians will believe in us and give us a chance again with the Muslim-Muslim ticket.”