2027: Christians Comfortable With Muslim-Muslim Ticket, Says APC Chairman

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has said Christians, particularly those in Northern Nigeria, are comfortable with the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.

The APC is fielding President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, both Muslims, as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 election.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, Yilwatda said that, unlike in 2023, Christians had no issues with the same-faith ticket, arguing that no one had been molested or denied their rights on religious grounds during the three years of the Tinubu administration.

He said that, under the present administration, Christians from the North, including himself, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), held key government positions.

The APC chairman also dismissed suggestions that the Muslim-Muslim ticket would weaken the party’s electoral prospects ahead of the 2027 presidential election, particularly in the North-Central region.

“Let me just be clear with you here. We’ve engaged a lot of Christian communities. I’m a Christian myself, and most Christians that we’ve engaged and spoken to are very comfortable with the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“No Christian, in the course of the three years of President Tinubu’s administration, has been molested or denied their rights or privileges because he is a Muslim. Beyond the office of the Vice-President, are there other offices that have been given to Christian communities in the North?

“The answer is yes. I’m the National Chairman of the party. I’m a Christian. The SGF is a Christian. And there are so many ministers. I’ll give you an example: Kaduna has never had a Christian as a cabinet minister before.

“Most times, the ministers given to Christians in the North are not even in principal ministries. Today, we have them as cabinet ministers, including the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Defence, as well as several other appointments.

“So, when you talk about inclusion in governance, the thought and fear of most Christians is that the Muslim-Muslim ticket may suppress their voices. But their voices are heard loud and clear now,” he said.

Yilwatda also dismissed allegations that the ruling APC was responsible for the crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC), following the nullification of the leadership arrangement involving former Senate President David Mark and the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, last week.

He accused opposition parties of resorting to blackmail whenever they faced political setbacks.

“The opposition in Nigeria likes blackmail. They survive only on blackmail, and only when the blackmail favours them.

“I’ll give you an example. The same APC, in 2019, because we conducted an election outside the timetable prescribed by INEC, lost. A member of the APC took the party to court, and we lost the case at the Supreme Court.

“We won all the elections. We won the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and most House of Assembly seats in Zamfara. But we lost all of them in court to the PDP.

“The same Atiku, I recall his post till date. Do you know what he said? Do you recall? It was the month of Ramadan when that judgment was delivered in May 2019.

“He said it was pleasant news in the holy month of Ramadan because the APC had lost out. During the same period, we lost because we conducted our congresses outside the timetable prescribed by INEC. Our members went to court, and we lost the case. The APC could not even field a single candidate in Zamfara State in 2019.

“The APC did not complain. The APC did not blame anybody. We took responsibility because they were our members. In some cases, we even suspended some of the members from the party. So, we carried out a house-cleaning exercise within ourselves.

“But why is it that ADC members took their own party to court and are now blaming the APC? Where does the APC come in?

“Rather, the ADC should carry out an internal review, put its house in order, and, where possible, appeal the judgment and pursue the case instead of blaming the APC for what happened,” he said.

Yilwatda further argued that, unlike in previous elections when Atiku was in the PDP and had the support of serving governors, the former vice-president no longer had the political structure to secure overwhelming votes in the North and other parts of the country.

The APC chairman also defended the N10 million incentive announced by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for political wards in Rivers State that deliver victory for President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Yilwatda maintained that the proposed reward would not amount to vote-buying if it was paid after the election, arguing that it was intended to recognise political performance rather than influence voters.

He said the timing of the payment was a critical factor in determining whether the arrangement constituted vote-buying.

According to him, a payment made after the election had been concluded, the winner declared and all legal processes completed could not be regarded as an inducement to voters.

“If the money is given after the election has been concluded, the winner has been declared and there is nothing at stake again, if the court has proven and all the legal processes have been followed, that you legally delivered your ward, by giving you N10 million, I don’t see it as vote-buying, never,” he said.

He, however, acknowledged that offering the money before the election to influence voters would amount to vote-buying.

“If he wants to engage in vote-buying, he would have said: ‘I’m going to give you N10 million, so use the money to buy votes on election day so they can vote for President Tinubu for me.’ That is vote-buying,” Yilwatda added.

On the leadership of the National Assembly after the 2027 general election, the APC chairman said the Senate would determine who emerges as its president, adding that the party would not decide whether the incumbent, Senator Godswill Akpabio, would retain the position.

Asked whether Akpabio would return as Senate President in 2027, Yilwatda said the decision rested with the senators.

“You know that the Senate will determine it. Let’s wait for the election first. I don’t have anybody in mind. The Senate will determine who they want to make Senate President. We, as a party, will only just bring the Majority Leader,” he said.

On the dispute between Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and former Governor Rochas Okorocha over the APC senatorial ticket, Yilwatda said the party would allow the court to determine the matter while working behind the scenes to manage the dispute.

“We will allow the court to settle it, but behind the scenes, we are managing the case,” he said.