The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 election.
The forum warned that such a move could cost him 80 percent of northern Muslim votes.
In a statement released on Saturday, the forum, led by Chairman Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, argued that the Muslim-Muslim ticket that secured Tinubu’s 2023 victory remains a winning strategy.
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“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,” the statement said.
The forum countered calls from the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum, which urged Tinubu to change his running mate to avoid losing Christian votes.
Zazzaga emphasised, “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, what is the guarantee that they will vote for Tinubu even if he is to drop Shettima?”
The statement further accused some individuals of seeking Tinubu’s defeat through mischief, noting, “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 North-Central APC Forum advised maintaining the current ticket, stressing that changing Shettima could jeopardize northern Muslim support and weaken Tinubu’s chances for reelection.
