The fate of Vice President Kassim Shetima as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate in the next presidential election is uncertain, following calls by a group of Muslims in the north on the president to drop him.
In his place, the group, Concerned Northern Muslim Ummah said the president should pick a Christian northerner to vie with him as his running mate.
The group’s Convener Bala Duguri. made the call during a press conference in Abuja the nation’s capital, saying the decision was arrived at after wide consultations with Muslims and other stakeholders in the region.
The group spoke amidst recent suggestion by some members of President Tinubu’s inner circle to drop Shetima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
The magazine has yet to confirm whether the president is contemplating the option of dropping Shetima for another running mate.
According to the Muslim body, the choice of a Christian running mate for Tinubu is in line with the spirit of “fairness, equity and justice,” noting that there’s the need for “religious balance in the 2027 ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
President Tinubu, the group further stated that will assuage the feelings and reciprocate the gesture extended to him in 2023, when they massively voted for the APC Muslim -muslim ticket.
The Muslim group also urged potential Muslim aspirants to drop their ambition to ensure that the idea of a Christian vice presidential nominee, for Tinubu is realized adding that victory is sure for Tinubu if he followed their advice
“Our group has undertaken wider consultations across the northern states with different Islamic organisations in a bid to speak with one voice over the political direction in the APC-led administration. The outcome is very encouraging,” Duguri said.
The group adds, “We have carefully considered the present situation of our country, coupled with deep concern for the well-being of our people, in the spirit of fairness, equity, and justice.
“The sacrifices made by our fellow Christian brothers and sisters in the 2023 presidential elections, in the spirit of unity and national progress, need to be acknowledged. It’s time for Muslim political actors to make similar sacrifices.
“As a Muslim organisation, we use this opportunity to call on all potential Muslim nominees for the vice presidential slot to make the necessary sacrifice by dropping their ambitions for the good of the country.”
It urged President Tinubu, the APC National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees, the Progressive Governors Forum, and other stakeholders to consider its appeal in the spirit of unity, equity, and justice.
Duguri stressed that the recommendation was not merely political but rooted in a genuine concern for national cohesion, democratic stability, and the continued success of Tinubu’s administration.
“After extensive consultations across religious, ethnic, and political lines in the North, we believe the most appropriate step forward is for a Northern Christian to be selected as the Vice Presidential candidate in 2027,” he said.
The group pledged to continue engagement with major religious and traditional institutions, including the NSCIA, JIBWIS, CAN, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, JNI, and the Northern Traditional Institution, to lobby for support for their position.
“This move will not only stabilise our democracy but also improve the electoral chances of President Tinubu, who, with this adjustment, will surely win by a landslide,” the group stated.
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