An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Farouk Aliyu, has said Nigerian Christians are now more accepting of the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket than they were before the 2023 general election, arguing that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has dispelled fears of religious marginalisation.
Aliyu made the remarks on Thursday during an appearance on ARISE Television’s The Morning Show, following President Tinubu’s decision to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
Defending the President’s decision, Aliyu said the APC chose to maintain the same ticket because it had already earned the confidence of Nigerians during the 2023 election.
“Our leader, the President, decided in his wisdom not to change the winning ticket. I am sure Christians in this country are now much, much more comfortable with the Muslim-Muslim ticket than they were when it was first introduced,” he said.
Aliyu recalled that the APC’s decision to field two Muslim candidates in 2023 sparked widespread criticism, with many expressing fears that Christians would be marginalised in government.
“At the time, there was a lot of hue and cry that Christians were going to be marginalised. Today, it is clear that nobody is being sidelined along religious lines,” he said.
According to him, President Tinubu has governed without religious bias since assuming office.
“President Tinubu has been leading this country as a Nigerian, not as someone defined by any religious identity,” he added.
Aliyu also said the APC was pleased to retain Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate, noting that changing the ticket could have created unnecessary political complications for the party.
“It was the party’s decision, through its leader, to retain Kashim Shettima, and we are happy the ticket has remained intact. That way, we don’t have to start dealing with avoidable political issues,” he said.
