A photograph was missing from a banner at the All Progressives Congress zonal public hearing in Maiduguri. And that omission has sparked a political storm that could shape Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s image was left off a banner featuring President Bola Tinubu, five APC governors from the North-East and the party’s national legal adviser during the event on the party’s constitutional amendment.
The incident has reignited debate over whether the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket remains viable for 2027, with some party stakeholders reportedly calling for Mr Shettima to be replaced with a Christian from the north.
Groups from the North-Central region have been particularly vocal, demanding that a Christian from their area should be selected as Mr Tinubu’s running mate in the next election.
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‘Disastrous’ and ‘dangerous’
The North-Central APC Forum has rejected such moves outright, warning in a Thursday statement from its chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, that replacing the vice president would be disastrous for the party.
“There is serious danger in changing a winning ticket. We totally and unequivocally reject calls and plans to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in the next election,” the forum stated.
The group cautioned against injecting religious sentiment into political calculations, arguing that the north currently lacks a Christian candidate with sufficient grassroots support, national appeal and political structure to complement Mr Tinubu’s electoral strength.
It maintained that abandoning the Muslim-Muslim ticket would only strengthen the opposition in 2027.
“We sincerely advise President Bola Tinubu and the leaders of the party not to listen to such calls, because such a decision will turn out to be a grievous political miscalculation,” the statement said.
The forum accused those behind the agitation of acting against the party’s interests, suggesting they do not want to see President Tinubu re-elected. “That is the only reason anybody with political knowledge would make such a request.”
North-Central eyes 2031, not 2027
Interestingly, the North-Central APC Forum clarified that its region is not angling for the vice-presidential slot, noting that it is focused on contesting the presidency in 2031, after Mr Tinubu’s tenure ends.
Analysing northern voting patterns, the forum argued that Mr Tinubu would not gain new votes by replacing Mr Shettima. Instead, it warned that dropping him on religious grounds would lead to a loss of support in the region.
The forum pointed out that if the opposition coalition backed by the African Democratic Congress fields Peter Obi as its presidential candidate, replacing Mr Shettima would make no strategic difference. Many minorities in the north would still vote for Mr Obi regardless of who runs alongside Mr Tinubu, it said.
“If you check, you will notice that in 2023, most of their communities voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party,” the statement said. “Now, if Peter Obi comes out again in 2027 on the platform of the ADC, what is the guarantee they will vote for Tinubu even if he drops Shettima and replaces him with a Christian? That is not going to happen.”
The forum warned that Mr Tinubu would likely lose support among core northerners by changing running mates, thereby reducing his votes and giving the advantage to Mr Obi. “Basic political calculation shows that dropping Shettima makes no sense and is actually very dangerous.”
It also dismissed suggestions that foreign powers, including the United States and other Western countries, might pressure Nigeria to abandon the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“The Muslim-Muslim ticket gave us victory in 2023. Nigeria is an independent nation, and nobody is going to dictate to us,” the forum said, warning that outside interference could undermine democracy and trigger avoidable conflict.
Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe is a writer and journalist who covers business, finance, technology, and the changing forces shaping Nigeria’s economy. He focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.
