By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it Backs Governor Biodun Oyebanji over his threat to sack disloyal aides as the governorship primary draws nearer.

The primary election, during which candidate that will fly the flag of the party will be picked, comes up in October this year.

Governor Oyebanji had last week, warned ward chairmen and members of the party against entertaining aspirants such as Kayode Ojo, among others in their wards and localities.

The Governor declared that “Can you work in Glo and take salary in MTN? I’m still waiting to see any party members, chairman, to open his door to other aspirants, I’m still waiting.

“I want to see the local government chairman and ward chairman that will open their door for such a person. I’m waiting.

“Those of you that are on the platform and collecting money from the government but still supporting oppositions because of the money you are collecting from them, we are coming for you. We are not tolerating any nonsense again in this party, it is what you do you will eat from, no more sentiments.

APC spokesman in the state, Segun Dipe, reiterated in a statement on Sunday that “My people, Happy Sunday to all.

Please let us stop mixing apple and orange together. Much as we all belong to the same party, we are not all in the government.

“Mr. Governor was not talking to the party people, he was talking to those in his government that he personally appointed. He is right to have asked those who can’t defend the government they’re working for to resign or get removed.

“This is the normal standard. If you’re not in his government, you’re free to do as you wish. But please allow those in BAO’s government to also defend the government they work for.

“Those of us Party Exco know him as the leader of the Party and his government our Party’s government, which we must defend. He is constitutionally entitled to a second term in office.

“Any other person is also entitled to contest against him, but without bringing down our party or the government raising the banner of our party. However, everything will crystalise come October 2027.  Know this, know peace.”

By Adesina Soyooye

From the North Central All Progressives Congress Forum comes an ominous warning to President Bola Tinubu: “Drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as your running mate in 2027, and lose 80% of Northern Muslim votes.”

The warning came from the Group, following the pressure on President Tinubu to do away with the Muslim-Muslim ticket in his bid for a second term in 2027, and go for a Christian running mate.

But the North-Central APC,  in a statement released by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, in Abuja, on Saturday, warns that doing that will spell doom for Mr President’s second term chances.

However, not a few people think otherwise.

They say that the Muslim-Muslim ticket which worked in 2023, is not likely to work in 2027.

For instance, the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum   reminded the President that the Muslim-Muslim ticket cost the APC States in the Middle Belt and the Federal Capital Territory in 2023.

But in response to the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum’s call, the North-Central APC Forum, in the statement signed by Zazzaga, who was a member of the APC campaign council for the 2023 election, posited  that the adoption of the Muslim-Muslim ticket was a winning strategy and in no way, a marginalization of Christians and/or other religions.

It noted that it is not possible for Tinubu to lose the Middle Belt when prominent Christians, for example, APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume are there holding high profile offices.

North Central APC Forum: “The Muslim-Muslim ticket will not affect President Bola Tinubu’s chances in the Middle Belt, which is part of the North-Central and this is because of the key positions held by Middle Belt christians in the APC government.

“We can guarantee that Tinubu will get 90 percent of the votes from the North-Central.

“Tinubu’s achievements in office will guarantee his reelection and as a result, there is no need to take the needless risk of changing a winning team.

“Those that are calling on President Bola Tinubu to change Vice President Kashim Shettima, basing their agitation on the Muslim-Muslim ticket, if you check, you will notice that in 2023, most of their communities voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

“Now if Peter Obi is to come out again in 2027, as expected, what is the guarantee that they will vote for Tinubu even if he is to drop Shettima and replace him with a Christian? Does it mean that these people will now leave Peter Obi and vote for Tinubu?

“The truth is most of these people are not Tinubu’s supporters, they don’t really want him to win reelection in 2027. That is why some of them are going as far as urging Mr President to drop those that went to great lengths to work for his victory in 2023. They are only trying to deceive Mr President but we believe the President knows better and will be able to see through their mischief. They don’t mean well for Mr President and the party.”

The Forum, in the same vein, alleged that some people who claim to be working for the President’s reelection are alienating and marginalizing northern Muslim communities, while concentrating attention on northern Christians.

“Another issue that we want to bring to Mr President’s attention is there are people close to him – we will not mention their names but they know themselves. They are going about in different communities in the North, giving money to some communities while excluding others all in the name of asking northern Christian communities to vote for Tinubu. But while they are doing that they are alienating and marginalizing northern Muslim communities. This is counter productive and it will backfire eventually and we don’t want Mr President to suffer because of the poor decisions of these people who are close to him.

“Now these people who are concentrating on northern Christians should consider this – what if the 2023 scenario repeats itself in 2027 with Peter Obi also contesting and President Tinubu now loses both Christian and Muslim votes? What if the Christian communities again vote for Obi and the Muslim communities who are now being neglected also refuse to vote for Tinubu?

“These are the issues that these people who are calling on Mr President to drop Shettima are either not thinking about, or are ignoring because they are up to mischief and do not mean well for the President and the APC.

“Our sincere advise for Mr President is that he should maintain the status quo that produced him. We are not in support of calls for President Tinubu to change the Vice President. Changing Kashim Shettima will not bear any positive fruit in the election because, looking at the results of the 2023 election, all the Christian dominated areas in the North voted for Peter Obi and we don’t expect a different outcome in 2027. Rather, President Tinubu risks losing a large chunk of northern Muslim votes if he listens to these calls and goes ahead to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima.

“We advise Mr President not to gamble with the 2023 election. President Tinubu will lose 80 percent of northern Muslim votes if he decides to change Shettima. Even if he decides to replace him with another northern Muslim, he will lose northern Muslim votes so the best approach is to maintain the status quo and go with what worked for him in the last election.”

The Presidency has not responded to the speculations which people think would die a natural death with a confirmation that “nobody changes a winning team.”