North-Central APC Forum warns that dropping Shettima 2027 ticket would be a grave political miscalculation and could weaken Tinubu’s re-election bid

The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum has rejected calls for Vice President Kashim Shettima to be dropped as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that such a move would amount to a grave political miscalculation.

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The forum’s position was contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, following reports that some elements within the ruling party were pushing for a change to the Shettima 2027 ticket.

Speculation intensified after Shettima’s photograph was omitted from a banner displaying images of APC leaders in the North-East during the party’s zonal public hearing on constitutional amendments in Maiduguri.

The banner featured President Tinubu, five APC governors from the zone and the party’s National Legal Adviser, a development that reignited debate over the future of the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

Some party stakeholders have reportedly argued that Tinubu should replace Shettima with a Christian running mate in 2027, with particular pressure coming from sections of the North-Central region.

However, the North-Central APC Forum warned that dropping Shettima would weaken the party’s electoral base and potentially jeopardise Tinubu’s re-election prospects.

The forum clarified that the North-Central is not seeking the vice-presidential slot, stressing that the region’s political focus is on contesting the Presidency in 2031, after Tinubu’s expected second term.

Cautioning against the politicisation of religion, the forum said the North currently lacks a Christian candidate with the national appeal, grassroots structure and political strength required to complement Tinubu effectively.

It argued that abandoning the Shettima 2027 ticket would only embolden the opposition and erode the APC’s support in the North.

“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 said.

“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 forum accused those advocating a change of acting against the interests of both the party and the President, suggesting they did not support Tinubu’s candidacy in 2023.

Analysing voting patterns, it said Tinubu would gain no new votes by replacing Shettima, warning that such a move could instead lead to significant losses in core northern constituencies.

It added that if the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress fields Peter Obi as its presidential candidate, replacing Shettima would make little difference, as many minority voters would still align with Obi regardless of Tinubu’s running mate.

The forum therefore urged the President to maintain the current ticket, describing continuity as the safest and most strategic path to victory in 2027.

It also dismissed suggestions that foreign powers, including the United States and other Western nations, could pressure Nigeria to abandon the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“Nigeria is a sovereign nation. The Muslim-Muslim ticket gave us victory in 2023, and nobody is going to dictate to us,” the forum stated.

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It warned that external interference in Nigeria’s democratic process could undermine stability and trigger avoidable political tensions.