The controversy that surrounded the All Progressives Congress (APC) Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 general election has largely faded, according to APC chieftain Farouk Aliyu.
Aliyu made the remarks on Thursday during an appearance on ARISE Television’s The Morning Show shortly after President Bola Tinubu announced the retention of Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
Defending the decision, Aliyu said President Tinubu chose to maintain the successful ticket that secured victory in the 2023 election.
“Our leader decided in his wisdom not to change the winning ticket,” he said. “Christians in this country are now much, much more comfortable than when we came up with the Muslim-Muslim ticket.”
The APC stalwart recalled the widespread criticism and concerns that greeted the party’s decision in 2022 to field two Muslim candidates, with many Nigerians, particularly Christians, expressing fears of religious imbalance and marginalisation.
However, Aliyu argued that those concerns have since been dispelled by the Tinubu administration’s style of governance.
“It’s history that nobody is being marginalized along religious lines,” he said.
According to him, President Tinubu has governed as a leader for all Nigerians, irrespective of religious affiliation.
“He has led as a Nigerian, not anybody with any religious toga,” Aliyu stated, adding that the administration has demonstrated fairness and inclusiveness since assuming office.
Aliyu also described the decision to retain Vice President Shettima as politically strategic, saying it spared the ruling party from internal disputes that could have arisen from selecting a new running mate.
He expressed confidence that Nigerians would once again support the APC in the 2027 presidential election, just as they did under challenging circumstances in 2023.
“We believe Nigerians will trust us again, just as they did when it was hectic, when it was almost impossible,” he said.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by the APC in the 2023 election generated intense national debate, with religious groups and civil society organisations raising concerns over inclusivity and representation. Despite the controversy, Tinubu and Shettima won the presidential election and have since governed together under the APC administration.
