From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A body representing the marginalised ethnic nationalities of Northern Nigeria, under the auspices of Northern Ethnic Nationalities’ Forum (NENF), has renewed its appeal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu, to jettison the plan for a Muslim-Muslim joint presidential ticket for the 2027 elections.
The forum, in a statement, emphasised that its demand was rooted on the urgent need for national cohesion, electoral viability and justice for Nigeria’s diverse religious and ethnic communities.
Dominic Alancha, who signed the statement, claimed that the petition was endorsed by 127 ethnic associations across Northern Nigeria.
The forum emphasised that though Vice President Kashim Shettima is capable, he cannot heal the wounds of exclusion. He urged the party and President Tinubu to pick a northern Christian from Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba, as vice presidential candidate to broaden APC’s appeal without compromising merit.
While claiming that the Muslim joint ticket will deepen religious fault lines in 2027, the forum noted: “The 2023 Muslim-Muslim ticket ignited unprecedented religious tensions, alienating millions of Christians and fuelling fears of Islamisation.
“As noted by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), this strategy risked tacitly endorsing non-state actors threatening national unity. Despite the presidency’s claims that the debate is no longer an issue, grassroots realities tell a different story:
“It will breed Christian backlash because over 80 percent of Northern Christians rejected the APC in 2023, costing the party states like Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa and FCT.
“It has also caused internal divisions in the APC when high-profile Christian allies defected, warning of catastrophic consequences for Nigeria’s fragile unity.
“There is also the issue of electoral vulnerability because the 2023 results exposed the ticket’s fragility. The joint Muslim ticket was also responsible for strategic losses. Tinubu secured only 36 percent of northern votes despite the bloc’s traditional dominance claims of the muslim in the region,” the forum enumerated.
Projecting the 2027 presidential election, the forum warned: “A repeat of the Muslim-Muslim ticket could cause the APC to lose states and battleground within the middle belt, which include Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, FCT and some parts of southern Kaduna, southern Borno, Gombe and Bauchi, respectively, where Northern Christians hold 90 percent voting power.
“Even Muslim groups like the Concerned Northern Muslim Ummah warn that retaining the ticket might backfire. Talking about opposition momentum, we should know that Peter Obi’s sweeping victories in Christian-dominated regions (South-East, Niger Delta and some parts of North-Central) prove that exclusionary politics mobilises opposition.
“With Obi potentially aligning with Atiku Abubakar, a unified Christian-Muslim opposition ticket could dismantle APC’s support base,” the forum warned.
Making further case for a northern Christian Vice President, the forum highlighted the moral imperative, stressing: “Nigeria’s founding fathers enshrined religious balance to prevent polarisation. The 1985 Buhari military regime, Nigeria’s only full Muslim executive, remains a dark memory of exclusion. Repeating this error betrays our national covenant.
“Performance over dogma, competence need not to sacrifice inclusivity. Vice President Shettima, though capable, cannot heal the wounds of exclusion. A Northern Christian Vice President from Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba would broaden APC’s appeal without compromising merit,” the forum noted.
