A northern Muslim advocacy group, Concerned Northern Muslim Ummah, has urged President Bola Tinubu to consider selecting a northern Christian as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election, DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS reports.
The appeal was made in a statement issued on Sunday by the group’s convener, Bala Duguri, who said the suggestion followed wide-ranging consultations across northern states with various Islamic organisations.
He noted that the group aims to promote unity and political inclusiveness ahead of the next general election.
According to Duguri, the group’s support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda informed their continued engagement in national affairs, describing the policy direction as yielding “positive results toward a greater Nigeria.”
“We have consulted widely with Islamic groups across the North to build a consensus on the political direction ahead of 2027. The feedback has been encouraging,” Duguri said.
He stressed that fairness, equity, and justice demand a religiously balanced ticket in 2027, particularly considering the Christian community’s support for the Muslim-Muslim ticket that secured Tinubu’s victory in 2023.
“In the spirit of national unity, the Christian community made sacrifices in 2023. It is only fair that Muslim political actors reciprocate that gesture in 2027,” he added.
The group urged all Muslim aspirants within the APC vying for the vice-presidential slot to step aside and support the nomination of a northern Christian instead.
“As a Muslim organisation, we are calling on all potential Muslim contenders for the VP position to voluntarily withdraw for the sake of national cohesion and equity,” Duguri stated.
They also called on President Tinubu, the APC National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees, the Progressive Governors Forum, and other key stakeholders to consider the appeal.
Duguri noted that the recommendation was made not only for political balance but also to enhance democratic stability and national unity.
He said the group would continue engaging with major religious and traditional bodies—including NSCIA, JIBWIS, CAN, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, JNI, and the Northern Traditional Institution—to build wider support for the proposal.
“This decision will not only strengthen our democracy but also improve President Tinubu’s electoral chances. With a northern Christian on the ticket, a landslide victory is certain,” the group said.
However, this position contrasts with a call from stakeholders in Borno State, who in April appealed to President Tinubu to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate in 2027. The Borno APC stakeholders made their position known in a communiqué issued after a meeting at the Government House in Maiduguri.
“The meeting prayed for Mr. President to retain His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima as his Vice President for his second term,” the communiqué read.
