Tinubu, Don’t Drop Shettima or Risk Losing 80% of Northern Muslim Votes – APC Forum

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 presidential election, warning that such a move could cost him up to 80 percent of northern Muslim votes.

The warning was issued on Saturday in Abuja through a statement signed by the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, who was also a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in 2023.

Zazzaga’s remarks come amid mounting calls from some groups and stakeholders for Tinubu to abandon the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which paired him with Shettima in the last election. Critics argue that the ticket weakened APC’s performance in Christian-majority areas of the North, including Nasarawa, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory.

Just recently, the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum, led by Dominic Alancha, urged the President to reconsider the arrangement in 2027, warning that retaining Shettima could further alienate Christian voters, especially in the Middle Belt.

But in a sharp rebuttal, the North-Central APC Forum insisted that Tinubu stands to gain more by keeping Shettima. According to the Forum, key Christian figures from the Middle Belt already occupy prominent positions in Tinubu’s government, including APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

“The Muslim-Muslim ticket will not affect President Bola Tinubu’s chances in the Middle Belt. With the inclusion of prominent Middle Belt Christians in key positions, we can guarantee that Tinubu will get 90 percent of the votes from the North-Central,” the Forum said.

The group argued that those opposing the Muslim-Muslim ticket are largely individuals and communities that backed Peter Obi of the Labour Party in 2023 and are unlikely to vote for Tinubu in 2027, regardless of his choice of running mate.

“Even if President Tinubu drops Shettima for a Christian, what guarantee is there that these voters will abandon Peter Obi and support Tinubu?” the statement queried, accusing critics of engaging in “mischief” to weaken the President’s chances.

The Forum also raised concerns that some Tinubu allies are focusing disproportionately on winning over northern Christian communities while sidelining Muslim constituencies—a move it described as “counterproductive” and potentially damaging to Tinubu’s reelection bid.

Warning of dire consequences, the Forum stressed:

“President Tinubu will lose 80 percent of northern Muslim votes if he decides to change Shettima. Even replacing him with another northern Muslim would create disaffection. The best strategy is to maintain the winning formula of 2023.”

The Forum urged the President to resist pressure, describing Shettima as an integral part of the team that secured APC’s victory in the last general election.