A group of northern Muslims has urged President Bola Tinubu to consider picking a northern Christian as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
The group, known as Concerned Northern Muslim Ummah, made this appeal after holding talks with several Islamic bodies across the northern region.
The group’s convener, Bala Duguri, explained that their recommendation came after deep discussions with religious and community leaders in the North.
He said there is a growing belief that fairness and unity should guide the next ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Their position is that the 2027 elections offer a chance to balance the religious pairing that was seen in 2023, when both Tinubu and his running mate, Vice President Kashim Shettima, are Muslims.
While acknowledging that the Muslim-Muslim ticket helped APC win the last election, the group said many Christians still supported the party in the interest of peace and national progress.
They said it is now time for the Muslim community to return the gesture by allowing a Christian from the North to take the vice-presidential slot in the next race.
They also appealed to any Muslim politicians hoping to run as Tinubu’s deputy to step down and support the idea of a Christian candidate.
According to them, this move would strengthen national unity and help maintain political stability across the country.
There have been talks for some time suggesting that Vice President Shettima might not be retained as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027.
Although nothing official has been confirmed, this new call by the Islamic group adds to the ongoing debate within the ruling party.
The group further asked President Tinubu and other party leaders to take their suggestion seriously and work towards building a more inclusive ticket in 2027.
They said that giving the vice-presidential position to a northern Christian would reflect fairness and encourage peace among Nigeria’s diverse population.
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