By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has rejected calls to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that such a move could hurt the President’s re-election prospects.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, cautioned party leaders against altering the current ticket, describing it as a winning formula that should not be tampered with.
The statement follows speculation about Shettima’s political future after his photograph was omitted from a banner displayed at the APC North-East zonal public hearing on the amendment of the party’s constitution in Maiduguri.
The development has revived debate within the party over the retention of the Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027, with some stakeholders reportedly advocating the choice of a Christian running mate, particularly from the North-Central, to address religious concerns.
However, the forum dismissed such calls, insisting that the North-Central is not seeking the vice-presidential slot and is instead positioning itself for the presidency in 2031.
“There is serious danger in changing a winning ticket. We totally reject calls to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Tinubu’s running mate in the next election,” the forum said.
It warned that replacing Shettima on religious grounds would weaken the APC and benefit the opposition, adding that the move would not deliver additional votes to the party.
The forum also rejected suggestions of foreign pressure to abandon the Muslim-Muslim ticket, stressing that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and should resist external interference in its electoral choices.
